Abstract:
In an embodiment of the present invention, a mobile gardening station is provided and includes a first vertical support member, a second vertical support member, the first and second vertical support members held in parallel to one another and in substantially the same elevation, a wheeled base structure affixed to the first and second support members, a top support structure affixed to the first and second support members, and a plurality of rails attachable between the first and second vertical support members, the rails arranged substantially orthogonally relative to the first and second vertical support members and equally spaced apart in pairs along a substantially vertical plane. Each rail pair supports at least one hanging planter box, the at least one planter box connected to the upper rail in a pair of rails by at least one hanging connector, and resting against the lower rail in the pair of rails.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED DOCUMENTS 
       [0001]    The present invention claims priority to a U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/956,395, filed on Jun. 6, 2013, entitled “Vertical Garden Cart”, disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention is in the field of gardening utilities and pertains particularly to methods and apparatus for vertical and mobile gardening. 
         [0004]    2. Discussion of the State of the Art 
         [0005]    In the field of gardening, there are mobile carts that are used for storing gardening tools and transporting soil and the like to a garden location. Such carts are limited to transport of materials. There are also stationary shelves and similar structures that support plants, typically in plantar boxes, where the user may those plants anywhere on any of the supporting shelves. One limitation to these types of structures is that once loaded down with plants, they are difficult to move or to reposition. This can limit sunlight getting to the plants if the structure is initially placed in a poor angle with relationship to the sun. 
         [0006]    Therefore, what is clearly needed is vertically extending mobile gardening station that serves as both a gardening and utility station on a mobile platform. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In an embodiment of the present invention, a mobile gardening station is provided and includes a first vertical support member, a second vertical support member, the first and second vertical support members held in parallel to one another and in substantially the same elevation, a wheeled base structure affixed to the first and second support members, a top support structure affixed to the first and second support members, and a plurality of rails attachable between the first and second vertical support members, the rails arranged substantially orthogonally relative to the first and second vertical support members and equally spaced apart in pairs along a substantially vertical plane. Each rail pair supports at least one hanging planter box, the at least one planter box connected to the upper rail in a pair of rails by at least one hanging connector, and resting against the lower rail in the pair of rails. 
         [0008]    In one embodiment, the wheeled base structure is a lower planter box integrated with a utility box. In this embodiment, the top support structure is an upper planter box. In one embodiment the wheeled base structure extends forward significantly past the vertical plane occupied by the rails and functions as a deadweight mechanism preventing the cart from tipping over. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vertical garden cart. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an overhead perspective view of a base portion of the vertical garden cart of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an overhead view of a long planting box used in the vertical garden cart of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an overhead view of a medium length planter box used in the vertical garden cart of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an overhead view of a short planter box used in the vertical garden cart of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the vertical garden cart of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    The inventor provides a vertical garden cart that enables modular planter display of multiple planters with utility storage in a mobile platform. The present invention is described in enabling detail using the following examples, which may describe more than one relevant embodiment falling within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vertical garden cart  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention. Vertical garden cart  100  is adapted among other things, to station multiple planter boxes in a dynamic presentation in a vertical array. In this example, a planter box  105 , a planter box  106 , and a planter box  107  are all supported in hanging position by a set of horizontal rails or rods such as one including rod  111 , the aggregate thereof disbursed vertically in substantially equal spacing from one another and substantially aligned in a vertical plane. 
         [0017]    Rails  111  may be solid metal rails like rebar or they may be pipes or tubes manufactured of metal or of another resilient material sufficient to support the weight of the plants without bowing or becoming unseated. In one embodiment, rails  111  are adjustable in length and may be added to or removed from garden cart  100 . In one embodiment, the rails are of a fixed length and are installed when the cart is assembled and cannot be removed while the support members are in position. 
         [0018]    The vertical garden array including planter boxes  105 - 107  is supported by a frame structure characterized by a first upright member  109  and a second upright member  110  forming the sides of the vertical architecture. Rails such as rail  111  may be affixed in between side members  109  and  110  by fastening them into seats on the interfacing surfaces of side members  109  and  110  at both ends. 
         [0019]    The support frame, which may be characterized by upright members  109  and  110  and the rails, like rail  111  is further reinforced by a stationary top planter box  108 . Planter box  108  forms the top of vertical garden cart  100  and is physically attached to the side members of the frame at the top ends. Planter boxes  105  through  107  are modular such that they may occupy different positions in the array and may be dynamically positioned on the fly in response to certain conditions or preferences. 
         [0020]    The support frame is further reinforced by a base structure  101  resting on a mobile platform characterized by four castor-type wheels, such as one of four castor wheels  104  fixed to the undersurface of base  101 . Base structure  101  includes a stationary base planter box  102  adjacent to a utility compartment or garden tool box  103 . Planter box  102  has a decorative fence-type cover along the front face of the planter box. The footprint of base structure  101  is significantly large enough to stabilize cart  100  while fully loaded with plants preventing it form being tipped over. 
         [0021]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, stationary planter box  102  is set forward relative to stationary planter box  108 . In this configuration, both stationary planter boxes may receive direct sunlight. Modular planter boxes  105 - 107  are hanging boxes adapted via hangar mechanisms  112  (two each) to be hung in dynamic arrays using horizontal rails  111 . In this configuration, the spacing of the horizontal rails in substantial vertical alignment facilitates hanging and bracing of each planter box. For example, planter box  107  is hung on the top rail while the next rail down serves as a stabilizing brace for the planter box to prevent swinging and tipping. 
         [0022]    Planter boxes  105 - 107  may be positioned so that each one receives direct sunlight. In the hanging position, each box may be moved laterally on the host rail ( 111 ) and is braced in hanging position by resting against the next rail down. In this example, there are six horizontal rails  111 , three for hanging planter boxes and three for bracing the hung boxes. Planter boxes  105 - 107  may vary in shape and size or volume without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In this example, planter boxes  105  and  106  are the same size dimensionally. Planter box  107  is potentially smaller than boxes  105  and  106 . In one embodiment, a mix of small and larger boxes, all small boxes or all large boxes might be deployed. 
         [0023]    In use of the present invention, a user may display one or more garden plants in each of the hanging planter boxes on the vertical array. Additionally, one or more garden plants may be displayed in planter box  102  and one or more garden plants may be displayed in top planter box  108 . In this configuration all displayed plants have access to direct sunlight. Moreover, garden cart  100  may be rotated periodically on its castor wheels so the plants continue to face the sun as it arcs through the sky. Utility box  103  has a top lid that is hinged to the compartment and may include a handle for easy lifting. Utility box  103  may contain gardening tools, watering accessories, garden gloves, seed and fertilizers, among other items relative to gardening. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is an overhead perspective view of a base structure  101  of the vertical garden cart of  FIG. 1 . Base structure  101  includes planter box  102  and utility box  103 . Planter box  102  includes a plurality of drain openings  202  adapted to enable water to drain out of the box. In this example, a decorative siding  203  is provided and affixed, at least on the front side of box  102  for ascetic purposes. 
         [0025]    Utility box  103  has a lid  204  fixed to the box via hinges  201 . Vertical garden cart  100 , including modular planter boxes  105 - 107  may be manufactured entirely from wood, a polymer, or some other resilient material. The depth and overall size dimension of planter boxes  105 - 107  may vary from box to box without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. There may be more or fewer drain openings  202  in planter box  102  than are illustrated in this example without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is an overhead view of planting box  108  of the vertical garden cart of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 4  is an overhead view of a medium length planter box ( 105 ,  106 ) of the vertical garden cart of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 5  is an overhead view of a short planter box  107  of  FIG. 1 . Referring now to  FIG. 3 , top planter box  108  is adapted as a stationary box Fastened to vertical frame members ( 109 ,  110 ). Box  108  includes multiple drain openings  300  arranged in a pattern through the bottom of the box. Fasteners such as screws, nails, etc. may be used to secure top box  108  to the frame of the garden cart. In other embodiments, other fastening methods may be used such as glue, nut and bolt, etc. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , planter box ( 105 ,  106 ) has hangar mechanisms  401  affixed thereto and spaced apart for hanging it on one of rails ( 111 ). Hangar mechanisms  401  may be manufactured of metal or other resilient materials sufficient to sustain the weight of the box with potting soil and plants in a hanging position of the rails. Box ( 105 , 106 ) includes a plurality of drain openings  400  placed through the bottom of the box. 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , planter box  107  includes hangar mechanisms  501  and drain openings  500  analogous to the same components described above relative to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . Planter box  107  is a smaller box but may be of approximately the same depth as the other planter boxes. Planter boxes  105  through  107  may be manufactured of wood, a polymer, or some other resilient material without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0029]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the vertical garden cart  100  of  FIG. 1 . Vertical garden cart  100  is designed so that the weight of potting soil in the plantar boxes is sufficiently distributed over the footprint of the base structure ( 101 ). In this view, top plantar box  108  resides directly over utility box ( 103 ). Plantar boxes  105 - 107  are stacked in vertical array in front of the top plantar box. Rails ( 111 ) are sufficiently aligned vertically and equally spaced vertically to accommodate the hanging positions of the hanging plantar boxes. Each hanging plantar box may be dynamically positioned or moved relative to the other boxes so that each receives direct sunlight and does not interfere with or is not usurped in any way by the other boxes on the array. 
         [0030]    In this embodiment, there are three vertical hanging planter boxes. In other embodiments there may be more rails or fewer rails to accommodate more or fewer hanging boxes. In one embodiment, the rails may be spaced strategically so that boxes of different depths may be used in the array. The bottom stationary planter box ( 102 ) is designed to extend forward past the vertical array, in part to help distribute weight across the base structure. Castor wheels  104  may be swivel wheels that rotate 360 degrees. 
         [0031]    In one embodiment, one or more of castor wheels  104  include break mechanisms that may be lever operated to lock the wheels in a certain position preventing them from rolling. In this example, the volumes of plantar boxes are depicted. Plantar box  108  has volume  600 , box  107  has volume  601 , box  106  has volume  602 , box  105  has volume  603 , and bottom box  102  has volume  604 . Filling volume  604  with soil and plants is effective in stabilizing the entire cart against tipping over. Utility box ( 103 ) has a volume  605 . 
         [0032]    In one embodiment of the invention drip shields (not illustrated) might be employed beneath plantar box  108  and each of the hanging plantar boxes to divert water draining through the boxes so that it does not spill on the top of the utility box. In one embodiment a recycle watering system may be employed to automatically water all of the boxes and to recover the drained water for diversion or reapplication. In one embodiment of the present invention, shelves may be added in a vertical array behind the rails or in between the rails to support other potted plants, knickknacks, or other accessories. 
         [0033]    It will be apparent to one with skill in the art that the vertical garden cart of the invention may be provided using some or all of the mentioned features and components without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It will also be apparent to the skilled artisan that the embodiments described above are specific examples of a single broader invention that may have greater scope than any of the singular descriptions taught. There may be many alterations made in the descriptions without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.