MODULAR TREE PROTECTING CONTAINER ENSEMBLE

A modular tree protecting container ensemble consists of eight arcuate and straight connectable modular containers, which when set up and connected to each other around a tree at soil level, provides a protective barrier, forms a water and mulch basin, provides theft-resistance and allows for beautification. The ensemble includes three unique shapes, two of which are corner containers; all three shapes have drainage holes on the container floor, and have identical sidewalls and sidewall connector holes for perfect container-to-container alignment. The tree protecting container ensemble is made up of two corner containers with both arcuate walls, two corner containers with arcuate and right angle-cornered walls, and four straight-sided containers, which are all fastened to each other through their sidewall holes with spacers, rods and rod caps, providing container-to-container connection, ensemble stability and theft-resistance.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS RELATED APPLICATIONS

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to tree protection in general, and to a modular tree protecting container ensemble surrounding a tree at soil level in particular.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Trees are living organisms and are vital components of our garden- and cityscapes. Trees are natural air purifiers, improving air quality. Trees beautify urban and suburban neighborhoods and public spaces. Trees have been shown to promote the general well being of people and positively impact the environment as a whole. Based on these reasons, homeowners and urban and suburban municipalities and neighborhoods are increasingly planting more trees. However, trees, particularly unprotected sidewalk trees are also exposed to a multitude of abusive and damaging factors such as manual and power garden tools and machinery, pedestrian and skateboarder traffic, chained cycles, opening car doors, and unsightly and unsanitary dog waste. In addition, many city ordinances mandate specifically sized sidewalk tree wells depending on the width of the sidewalk, which home and property owners need to adhere to.

While homeowners and municipalities do set up the areas of tree wells for planting and maintaining trees on the sidewalks and in gardens, there are no practical tree protecting apparati on the market, that are modular and expandable for a growing tree, while also providing a mulching and watering basin, preventing water run-off, are theft-resistant, and at the same time give the opportunity to non-invasively decorate and beautify the area around the tree.

The inventors have therefore recognized the aforementioned tree protection problems and in their research have observed a lack in the art and the need for modular expandable tree protecting container ensembles that are easily set up, are sturdy, theft-resistant, and simultaneously would provide the means to beautify around the tree base and protect the tree roots.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventors have identified the specific issues associated with protection and maintenance of trees, such as watering and mulching, and injuries and damage that commonly occur to street and garden trees. The inventors have addressed this need by developing a modular tree protecting container ensemble that allows for simple, theft-resisting inter-connection of modular open top containers around the tree base at soil level, while offering the possibility to expand the container ensemble with additional inter-connectable open top containers as the tree grows in width or if the tree well dimensions change. At the same time the modular tree protecting container ensemble offers the opportunity to decorate and beautify the tree area without encroaching on the tree root system.

The present embodiment of the modular tree protecting container ensemble includes a total of eight containers with three distinct container shapes, two of which are designed to be corner containers. The first corner container is quarter-circle arcuate on both inner and outer length-side walls. The second corner container is quarter-circle arcuate on the inner length-side wall and right angle-cornered on the two outer walls. The third container has straight-sided inner and outer walls. According to the tree owners' further needs, additional straight-sided containers can be inserted in order to expand the modular tree protecting container ensemble. All containers have identical sidewalls with equal-sized connection holes identically located along the sidewall's midline for perfect container-to-container alignment and interconnection. Each container has three equidistant drainage holes on the midline of the container floor to provide uniform drainage for water run-off. The modular containers are set up around a tree trunk at soil level and are aligned by their equal-sized sidewalls and equal-sized and spaced sidewall holes and are fastened to each other with common use, non-corrosive spacers, rods and rod caps through the aligned sidewall holes. This interconnection method provides ensemble stability and theft resistance.

Furthermore, the described features and advantages of the disclosure may be combined in various manners and embodiments, as already mentioned, as one skilled in the relevant art will recognize. The disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the features and advantages described in a particular embodiment.

Further advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.

DESCRIPTIVE KEY

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The detailed description of the modular tree protecting container ensemble (herein described as an “ensemble”) are displayed in seven drawings,FIG. 1,FIG. 2,FIG. 3A,FIG. 3B,FIG. 3C,FIG. 4, andFIG. 5, which are briefly described above. The bolded numbers in the detailed description refer to the Descriptive Key, labels of all the ensemble pieces as listed above. In accordance with the invention, the present disclosure describes a certain embodiment of the ensemble10which provides a protective barrier, mulching and watering basin for trees, while providing a non-invasive and drainable beautification area and theft-resistance.

In accordance with the invention, the best mode of the ensemble10is presented in terms of a preferred embodiment, herein depicted inFIG. 1andFIG. 2, which is made up of a total of eight containers that are all of equal height, of which two corner containers20are quarter-circle arcuate on both outer and inner length-side walls, and of which two corner containers30are quarter-circle arcuate on the inner length-side wall and have right angle-cornered outer length-side walls, and of which four containers are straight-sided40. However, the disclosure is not limited to this single described embodiment and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the disclosure and that such work around will also fall under its scope. It is envisioned that other configurations can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present disclosure, and only one particular configuration is shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope.

FIG. 1depicts the ensemble10as seen from a perspective view. The ensemble is comprised of eight containers with three distinct shapes20,30and40. There are two arcuate types of corner containers20and30, and one straight walled container40. All containers have equal sized identical opposite sidewalls60, all of which have two equal-sized and equal spaced holes65on the sidewalls' midline for perfect hole-to-hole, container-to-container alignment.

FIG. 2is the top view of the ensemble10of the present embodiment. Both shapes of corner containers20and30have identically sized quarter-circle arcuate inner length-side walls25and35. One of the two types of corner containers20has an outer quarter-circle arcuate length-side wall26. The other type of corner container30has equal length right angle-cornered length-side outer walls36. Four identical straight-walled containers40with both inner and outer straight-sided walls45complete the ensemble10described herein. The ensemble10can be expanded in size by additionally inserting the straight-sided containers40. The containers20,30, and40all have three drainage holes50and are located equally spaced along the mid section of the container floors27,37and47to provide uniform drainage and to prevent water accumulation in the container. All the sidewalls60of the three different containers20,30, and40are identical. After the containers are set up around the tree base at soil level and fastened to each other, mulch and water can be added to the area between the tree trunk and the ensemble10for tree maintenance, and soil, sand, pebbles, rocks or other filling material and plants can be added to the containers20,30and40to decorate and beautify the area around the tree.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3Cillustrate in detail the three different uniquely shaped modular ensemble containers, all with identical sidewalls60and connector holes65for perfect container-to-container alignment and connection.

FIG. 3Ais a detailed perspective view of the corner container20with the quarter-circle arcuate inner length-side wall25and quarter-circle arcuate outer length-side wall26. Three equal-sized and equal-spaced drainage holes50along the the planting container floor27provide uniform drainage.

FIG. 3Bis a detailed perspective view of the corner container with the quarter-circle arcuate inner length-side wall35and with two same-length right angle-cornered outer length-side walls36. Three equal-sized and equal-spaced drainage holes50along the the container floor37provide uniform drainage.

FIG. 3Cis a detailed view of the container with equal sized inner and outer straight-sided length-side walls45. Three equal-sized and equal-spaced drainage holes50along the the planting container floor47provide uniform drainage. Additional straight-sided containers40can be inserted between the corner containers20and30to enlarge the tree protecting container ensemble for trees with larger trunks or larger tree well requirements.

FIG. 4is the front view of the sidewall60with two equal-sized and equal-spaced connector holes65that are located midline on the sidewall60. The sidewalls60and connector holes65are identical in all the containers20,30and40, for perfect sidewall hole to sidewall hole container-to-container alignment.

FIG. 5is a partial cross-sectional view of two sidewalls60of two adjoining containers depicting the fastening of the containers to each other with one common-use non-corrosive rod80, one common-use non-corrosive rod cap90, and a common-use non-corrosive spacer70placed in-between the rod80and the inside container side wall60, and a common-use non-corrosive spacer70placed in-between the rod cap90and the inside container side wall60, through the aligned sidewall holes65of the two containers. This container inter-fastening method provides both ensemble stability and theft resistance.

Individual containers described herewith may be formed from plastic, wood, ceramic, clay, various metals, or other like material.