# US 8,769,870 B2 · Assembly for determining if hanging plants need to be watered

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- Number: US 8,769,870 B2
- Document ID: US8769870B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/546,284
- Filed: 2012-07-11
- Published: 2013-01-17
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-11
- Applicants: Robert Dale Schutter; David Jay TerHaar
- Inventors: Robert Dale Schutter; David Jay TerHaar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8769870B2

## CPC

- A01G 27/003: {Control of self-acting watering devices (Hydroponic system controls A01G31/008)}
- A01G 25/167: {Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors}
- G01G 19/14: for weighing suspended loads (G01G3/00 takes precedence; incorporation of weighing devices in cranes B66C1/40, B66C13/16)
- G01G 19/52: Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture (with walking sticks A45B3/08)
- A01G: HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING (picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or the like A01D46/00; propagating unicellular algae C12N1/12)
- G01G: WEIGHING (sorting by weighing B07C5/16)

## Abstract

A system for watering plants including a pot having a plant therein, a line carrying a hook, a watering activation switch connected to a watering system, and a pot weighing system comprising a movable arm assembly interacting with a weight switch. The pot does not move the movable arm assembly when the plant needs to be watered, whereby the movable arm assembly interacts with the weight switch to allow watering of the plant and the hook engages the plant watering activation switch to thereby activate the watering system to provide water to the plant. The pot moves the movable arm assembly when the plant does not need to be watered, whereby the movable arm assembly interacts with the weight switch to prevent activation of the watering system to prevent water from being provided to the plant.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for watering plants comprising:
a pot having a plant therein;
a line carrying a hook thereon, the hook carrying the pot;
a plant watering activation switch connected to a watering system configured to provide water to the plant in the pot; and
a pot weighing system comprising a movable arm assembly configured to interact with a weight switch;
the line carrying the pot along a path between the plant watering activation switch and the movable arm assembly of the pot weighing system;
the pot not moving the movable arm assembly of the pot weighing system when the plant in the pot needs to be watered, whereby the movable arm assembly interacts with the weight switch to allow watering of the plant in the pot and the hook engages the plant watering activation switch to thereby activate the watering system to provide water to the plant in the pot;
the pot moving the movable arm assembly of the pot weighing system when the plant in the pot does not need to be watered, whereby the movable arm assembly interacts with the weight switch to prevent activation of the watering system to prevent water from being provided to the plant in the pot.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system for watering plants of claim 1, wherein:
the movable arm assembly comprises:
a hanging pivot arm hanging from a structure and pivoting relative thereto about a horizontal axis; and
a balance bar connected to the hanging pivot arm at a location distal the structure, the balance bar having an abutment arm on a first side of the hanging pivot arm and a movable weight on a second side of the hanging pivot arm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system for watering plants of claim 2, wherein:
the movable arm assembly includes a movable weight lock device for locking the movable weight in a selected position on the balance bar.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system for watering plants of claim 2, wherein:
the hook abuts the balance bar to move the movable arm assembly.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system for watering plants of claim 4, wherein:
a top portion of the hanging pivot arm abuts the weight switch to interact the movable arm assembly with the weight switch.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The system for watering plants of claim 2, further including:
an empty hook detection system for preventing activation of the watering system, the empty hook detection system including a movable bar and an empty hook detection switch;
the plant moving the movable bar of the empty hook detection system when the hook carries the plant in the pot, whereby the movable bar interacts with the empty hook detection switch to allow watering of the plant in the pot.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system for watering plants of claim 6, wherein:
the empty hook detection system is on the hanging pivot arm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system for watering plants of claim 1, further including:
an empty hook detection system for preventing activation of the watering system, the empty hook detection system including a movable bar and an empty hook detection switch;
the plant moving the movable bar of the empty hook detection system when the hook carries the plant in the pot, whereby the movable bar interacts with the empty hook detection switch to allow watering of the plant in the pot.

### Claim 9

A pot weighing system for determining if a plant in a pot within a structure needs to be watered, the pot weighing system comprising:
a hanging pivot arm configured to hang from the structure and pivot relative thereto about a horizontal axis;
a balance bar connected to the hanging pivot arm at a location configured to be distal the structure, the balance bar having an abutment arm on a first side of the hanging pivot arm and a movable weight on a second side of the hanging pivot arm; and
a weight switch for preventing water from being delivered to the plant in the pot;
the hanging pivot arm being moved to interact with the weight switch;
the hanging pivot arm pivoting when the plant in the pot does not need to be watered, to thereby interact with the weight switch to prevent the plant from being watered;
the hanging pivot arm not pivoting when the plant in the pot needs to be watered to thereby interact with the weight switch to allow the plant from being watered.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The pot weighing system of claim 9, wherein:
the movable arm assembly includes a movable weight lock device for locking the movable weight in a selected position on the balance bar.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The pot weighing system of claim 10, wherein:
a top portion of the hanging pivot arm abuts the weight switch to interact the hanging pivot arm with the weight switch.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The pot weighing system of claim 10, further including:
an empty hook detection system for preventing activation of a watering system, the empty hook detection system including a movable bar and an empty hook detection switch;
the movable bar being configured to be moved by a hook carrying the plant, whereby the movable bar interacts with the empty hook detection switch to allow watering of the plant in the pot.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The pot weighing system of claim 12, wherein:
the empty hook detection system is on a lower portion of the hanging pivot arm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The pot weighing system of claim 9, further including:
an empty hook detection system for preventing activation of a watering system, the empty hook detection system including a movable bar and an empty hook detection switch;
the movable bar being configured to be moved by a hook carrying the plant, whereby the movable bar interacts with the empty hook detection switch to allow watering of the plant in the pot.

### Claim 15

A method of watering plants comprising:
providing a pot having a plant therein;
providing a line carrying a hook thereon;
carrying the pot with the hook;
connecting a plant watering activation switch to a watering system configured to provide water to the plant in the pot;
providing a pot weighing system comprising a movable arm assembly configured to interact with a weight switch;
carrying the pot with the line along a path between the plant watering activation switch and the movable arm assembly of the pot weighing system;
not moving the movable arm assembly of the pot weighing system when the plant in the pot needs to be watered, with the movable arm assembly interacting with the weight switch and watering the plant in the pot with the watering system when the hook engages the plant watering activation switch;
moving the movable arm assembly of the pot weighing system with the pot when the plant in the pot does not need to be watered, with the movable arm assembly interacting with the weight switch to prevent activation of the watering system to prevent water from being provided to the plant in the pot.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of watering plants of claim 15, wherein:
the movable arm assembly comprises a hanging pivot arm and a balance bar;
and further including:
hanging the hanging pivot arm from a structure;
pivoting the hanging pivot arm about a horizontal axis;
connecting the balance bar to the hanging pivot arm at a location distal the structure, the balance bar having an abutment arm on a first side of the hanging pivot arm and a movable weight on a second side of the hanging pivot arm.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of watering plants of claim 16, further including:
moving the movable weight along the balance bar to alter the weight of the plant in the pot needed to activate the weight switch.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of watering plants of claim 16, wherein:
locking the movable weight in a selected position on the balance bar with a movable weight lock device.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of watering plants of claim 16, further including:
abutting the balance bar with the hook to move the movable arm assembly.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of watering plants of claim 19, wherein:
interacting the movable arm assembly with the weight switch by abutting a top portion of the hanging pivot arm with the weight switch.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The method of watering plants of claim 16, further including:
preventing activation of the watering system with an empty hook detection system, the empty hook detection system including a movable bar and an empty hook detection switch;
moving the movable bar of the empty hook detection system with the plant when the hook carries the plant in the pot, whereby the movable bar interacts with the empty hook detection switch to allow watering of the plant in the pot.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of watering plants of claim 21, wherein:
the empty hook detection system is on the hanging pivot arm.

### Claim 23 (depends on 15)

The method of watering plants of claim 15, further including:
preventing activation of the watering system with an empty hook detection system, the empty hook detection system including a movable bar and an empty hook detection switch;
moving the movable bar of the empty hook detection system with the plant when the hook carries the plant in the pot, whereby the movable bar interacts with the empty hook detection switch to allow watering of the plant in the pot.