A WATERING DEVICE FOR POTTED PLANTS

Abstract: The watering device (1) comprises a suction wick (15) situated in a tube (9) extending upwards from the device. The tube is insertable through a bottom opening in a pot in such a manner that the wick at the top is in close contact with the surrounding soil and at the bottom is in contact with a water reservoir within the device. A partition (4) divides the watering device (1) into two compartments (A, B). Through a bottom opening (10) the first compartment (A) communicates with a surrounding water reservoir. A dosage means for instance in the form of a control wick (14) extends through an orifice (13) in the top of the partition from the bottom of the first compartment (A) to the bottom of the second compartment (B). In this manner it is possible very simply to ensure that a constant, controlled amount of water is supplied per time unit to the plant in the pot without necessitating a daily watering. Consequentely, the plant in the pot is provided with the best possible growth conditions.

Description: - 1 - Title; A Watering Device for Potted Plants Technical Field The present invention relates to a watering device for potted plants and of the type stated in the preamble of claim 1. Background Art Various devices for watering potted plants are known. Devices designed for plants grown in soil, plants grown in leca**- beads or for plants grown in a combination thereof are known. A common feature of these known de¬ vices is that the plants suck up water in an uncontrol¬ lable manner for instance through a suction wick in such a manner that either too little or too much water is fed thereto, which causes unfavourable growth con- ditions for the plants. The latter applies inter alia to the watering device of DE Patent No. 819,017. Disclosure of Invention The object of the present invention is to provide a watering device capable of supplying a predetermined amount of water per time unit in a controllable manner to a pot in such a manner that the plant is continuous¬ ly supplied with the same amount of water per time unit and thus is subjected to the best possible growth con¬ ditions. The above object is obtained by the watering device mentioned in the introduction being characterised by the subject matter of the characterising clause of claim 1. When used, the tube and the suction wick pro¬ jecting therefrom are inserted through a hole in the bottom of the pot whereafter the pot is placed on a tripod or another spacing means in a water container such as for instance a flowerpot bowl. The device can be inserted through an opening in the spacing means in such a manner that said device rests on the bottom of the water container. Subsequently the water container is filled until the water level is slightly below the upper surface of the water device, water being filled therein to the lower rim of the grid before the pot is placed with the watering device inserted in the bottom thereof. The embodiment of the watering device defined in the characterising clause of claim 1 implies that water can flow freely into the first compartment through the orifice in the bottom and subsequently from the dosage means into the second compartment in a controlled manner. As a result, a predetermined amount of water per time unit is supplied continuously to the second compartment, the suction wick sucking the re¬ sulting dosage of water up to the soil in the pot and consequently to the plant from said second compartment. In this manner the dosage means determines the maximum amount of water supplied to the plant per time unit and absorbable to the plant. The dependent sub-claims deal with various practical embodiments of the watering device according to the invention. Brief Description of Drawings Further advantages obtained by the watering device according to the invention appear from the following detailed explanation of the device with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a first embodiment of a watering device according to the invention taken along the line II-II of Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the embodiment of the watering device of Fig. 1 taken along the line I-I of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of a watering device according to the invention taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. 4, Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 3 taken along the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 illustrates partly in section the watering de- vice according to the invention inserted into the bot¬ tom hole of a pot, said pot being placed on a tripod within a flowerpot. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention The preferred embodiment of the watering device 1 ac- cording to the invention appears from Figs. 1 and 2. The watering device 1 comprises a bottom member 2 with integral side walls 3, a partition wall 4, a partition wall 5, and a bottom 6, and a top member 7 welded on the top rims of the walls 3, 4, 5. The top member 7 comprises a top cover 8 with an integral cylindrical or preferably conical upwardly extending tube 9 comprising an inclined orifice. A plurality of feet 12 are provid¬ ed on the underside of the bottom 6, only two of said feet appearing. Instead of feet the bottom 6 can com- prise grooves guiding the water to a water inlet 10 in the bottom. The partition 4 divides the device into two separate compartments A, B. The water inlet 10 extends from the surroundings to compartment A, and a ventilation opening 11 extending from the compartment A appears in the top cover 8. A control wick 14 extends from the bottom of compart¬ ment A to the bottom of compartment B through a wick orifice 13 in the partition 4 immediately adjacent the top cover 8. The control wick 14 is dimensioned in such a manner that a predetermined amount of water per time unit can be sucked from compartment A to compart¬ ment B. Both in compartment A and in compartment B and substantially in its entire vertical length the control wick is surrounded by a conduit tube 16 and 17, respec¬ tively. These conduit tubes 16 and 17 ensure that the wick is always correctly positioned, and that the wick always sucks water from compartment A to compartment B substantially at the same constant velocity irrespec¬ tive of the surrounding amount of water. A suction wick 15 of at least the same suction capacity as the control wick 14 extends from the bottom of compartment B upwards through the tube 9 and a distance of for instance 1-2 cm or more beyond the orifice of the tube 9. The partition 5 ensures that the suction wick 15 is kept separated from the portion of the control wick 14 placed in the compartment B. The major portion of the portion of the suction wick 15 placed in compartment B is surrounded by a downwardly extending cylindrical extension 18 of the tube 9. A weight may be inserted or cast in the device 1. As shown a stone or a glass or metal ball 19 may be in¬ serted in compartment B. This weight ensures that the device does not float in a surrounding amount of wat¬ er. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a second embodiment of the watering device 21 according to the invention. The wa¬ tering device comprises a bottom member 22 with an in- tegral circular side wall 12, partitions 24 extending radially inwards, and a bottom 26. The device comprises furthermore a top member 27 with a top cover 28 welded on the top rims of the walls 23 and 24. The top member 27 and the top cover 28 are cast integral with cylin¬ drical or preferably conical tubes 29 extending upwards and with an obliquely cut orifice. The top member 17 and the top cover 28 are furthermore cast integral with circular- partitions 25 extending downwards from the top cover 28, as well as with intermediary walls 37 extend¬ ing radially outwards, the rims of said intermediary walls being welded to the inner surfaces of the bottom 26 and the side wall 23, respectively. A plurality of feet 32 are shaped on the underside of the bottom. The side rims of the partitions 37 are welded to the inner side of the side wall 23. The side, intermediary, and dividing walls or parti¬ tions 23, 24, 25, and 37 divide the watering device into plurality of primary compartments A, four com- partments A being distributed along the circumference in the illustrated embodiment, and further into com¬ partment B comprising a plurality of outer chambers 38 and an inner chamber 40. The bottom 26 comprises a wat¬ er inlet 30 and the top cover comprises a ventilation opening (not shown) for each compartment A. As illustrated the compartment B is separated from the compartments A by the partitions 24, 37, and 25 and is divided into the outer chambers 38. Each outer chamber can communicate with the inner chamber 40 of compart- ment B through a port 39 in the partition 25. A cylindrical closing means 41 in the form of a closing bushing is inserted in the inner chamber 40. The outer surface of this closing bushing closely abuts the inner side of the cylindrical partition 25. A sealing materi- al such as for instance silicon fat can, if necessary, be situated between the inner side of the partition 25 and the outer side of the closing means 41. A plurality of ports 41 are recessed in the closing means 41, said ports being of the same dimension as the ports 39 of the partition 25. The ports 39 of the par¬ tition 25 are uniformly distributed along the circum¬ ference of said partition, cf. Fig. 3. The ports 42 of the closing means 41 are unlike the ports of the parti- tion distributed in such a manner that either one port 42 opposes one port 39 or three ports 42 oppose three ports 39, or all the ports 39 are closed, the closing means 41 being turnable about 40-50° within the inner chamber 40 by means of a pin 43, cf. Fig. 4, extending through a track or a groove 44 extending over part of a circle in the top cover 28. Each partition 25 comprises immediately adjacent the top cover 28 a wick orifice (not shown here) of the same type as the one illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a control wick 34 extending through said orifice from the bottom of each compartment A to the bottom of each outer chamber 38 of compartment B. The control wick 34 is dimensioned in such a manner that a predetermined amount of water per time unit can be sucked from com- partment A to the outer chamber 38 and further through the open port(s) into the inner chamber 40 of compart¬ ment B. Both in the compartments A and in the outer chamber 38 of compartment B the control wicks 34 are surrounded by a conduit tube 43 and 44, respectively, substantially in their entire vertical length. A suction wick 35 extends from the bottom of the inner chamber 40 of compartment B upwards through the tube 29 provided with a downward, cylindrical extension 45, cf. Fig. 4, to a short distance from the bottom 26, and a distance beyond the orifice of the tube 29. Like the first embodiment, the control and suction wicks 34, 35 are here separated by partitions 25, and in the embodi¬ ment of Figs. 3 and 4 a weight may be inserted. The watering device is preferably made of a hard plas¬ tics such as for instance polycarbonate. It is impor¬ tant to choose a material standing up to a boiling in an acid liquid such as for instance vinegar water in order to remove calcareous deposits from the watering device. The use of the watering device according to the inven¬ tion will be explained below with reference to the em¬ bodiment of Figs. 3 and 4. As illustrated in Fig. 5 for instance the tube 29 of the watering device 21 including a suction wick 35 is inserted through the bottom orifice 55 of a pot 54. A tripod 51 is placed on the bottom of a flowerpot bowl 50, said tripod comprising a support 52 with an orifice 53. Subsequently, water 57 is filled into the pot to a level slightly below the support 52 of the tripod. Now the pot and the watering device 21 situated therein are placed on the support 52 in such a manner that the wat¬ ering device 21 extends through the orifice 53 and rests on the bottom of the flowerpot bowl 50. Care should be taken that the ventilation opening in the top cover 28 of the watering device 21 is not covered by water. Now the water flows through the inlet openings 30 into the compartments A and is sucked out of said compartments A at a velocity determined by the control wick 34 into the outer chambers 38. Subsequently, the water flows through the open port(s) 39, 42 into the inner chamber of the compartment B and is sucked up¬ wards by the suction wick 35 into the pot 54 allowing a controlled amount of water to be released to the soil 56 continuously. In response to the season, the rest periods of the plant etc. it is possible by adjusting the closing means continuously to supply the plant with a greater, smaller or almost no amount of water without necessitating a daily inspection of the plant. It is obvious that the surrounding water container need not be a flowerpot bowl, but for instance may be a win¬ dow box containing several pots. Furthermore it is pos¬ sible in vacations to place a plurality of pots in a vessel with no outlet and containing a relatively great amount of water ensuring the growth conditions of the plants even for long periods. Though the embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4 comprises a com¬ partment A for each outer chamber 38, it is obvious that a compartment A may also serve two outer chambers 38 simultaneously. In this manner it is possible to place additional outer chambers 38, and by adapting the number and mutual arrangement of the ports 39 and 42 it is possible to vary the watering amount per time unit further. An essential feature in this connection is that the suction capacity of the suction wick 35 at least corresponds to the total suction capacity of the maximum used number of control wicks 34. Other embodiments are also possible. Instead of the control wick 14, 34 it is for instance possible to use a capillary tube or to insert a porous wall of a for instance ceramic or plastic material into the partition 4, 24 immediately adjacent the bottom of the watering device. It is obvious that the watering devices 1, 21 can be made in various sizes depending on the dimension of the pot and the watering need of the plant therein, the control wick being adapted to each situation.

Claims: Claims ; 1. A watering device for potted plants (54) and comprising a suction wick (15, 35) extending upwards through an orifice (55) in the bottom of the pot and within a tube (9, 29) in the top cover (8, 28) of the device (1, 21), the upper end of said wick extending at the top through the tube into close contact with the surrounding soil (56) and at the bottom to a water res¬ ervoir in the device (1, 21), characterised in that the watering device (1, 21) comprises at least two compart- ents (A, B) separated by a partition (4, 24), the first (A) of said compartments communicating through a water inlet (10, 30) situated in the bottom (6, 26) with a water reservoir (57) surrounding the device and furthermore communicating with the second compartment (B) through a dosage means (14, 34), said suction wick (15, 35) extending to the bottom of the second compart¬ ment, and that the tube (9, 29) comprises an extension (18, 45) extending in the second compartment (B) a sub¬ stantial distance downwards towards the bottom (6, 26) of the watering device (1, 21) and surrounding the suc¬ tion wick (15, 35). 2. A watering device as claimed in claim 1, charac¬ terised in that a partition (5, 25) is present in the second compartment (B) and divides said compartment into two sections, said partition preventing a direct contact between the suction wick (15, 35) and the part of the dosage means (14, 34) present in compartment the (B). 3. A watering device as claimed in claim 1 and/or 2, characterised in that the dosage means is a con¬ trol wick (14, 34) extending from the bottom of the first compartment (A) to the bottom of the second com- part ent (B) through an orifice (13) for the control wick in the top of the partition (4, 24). 4. A watering device as claimed in claim 3, charac¬ terised in that the control wick (14, 34) is surrounded by a conduit tube (16, 43 and 17, 44, respectively) substantially in the entire height both in compartment (A) and in compartment (B). 5. A watering device as claimed in claim 1 and/or 2, characterised in that the partition (4, 24) is made partly of a porous material such as for instance a ce¬ ramic or plastic material of a selected pore size to form the dosage means. 6. A watering device as claimed in claim 1 and/or 2, characterised in that the dosage means is a capil- lary tube extending from the bottom of the first com¬ partment (A) to the bottom of the second compartment (B) through an orifice in the top of the partition (4, 24). 7. A watering device as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the walls (3, 4, 5, 23, 24, 25, 37), the bottom (6, 26), and top member (7, 27) of the device (1, 21) (apart from the optionallly porous partition member) are made of hard acid-resistant plastics, and that the device comprises a weight such as for instance a ball, ring or sheet of glass and metal, respectively, loosely in¬ serted in one of the compartments (A, B) and cast in or at the bottom of the device. 8. A watering device as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that a ventila¬ tion opening (11) is provided in the top cover (8, 28) of the device (1, 21). 9. A watering device as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that a plurality of primary compartments (A) are present which individu¬ ally communicate with their respective outer chamber (38) of the compartment (B) through the dosage means (14, 34), and that an adjustable closing means (41) with at least one port (42) is able to open and water tight close the connection between the outer chamber (38) of the compartment (B) and the inner chamber (40) thereof. 10. A watering device as claimed in claim 9, charac¬ terised in that the device (21) is circular, and that the primary compartments (A) and the outer chamber (38) of the compartment (B) are situated about the inner chamber (40) of the secondary compartment (B) with ports (39) in the partition (25) to connect the outer chamber (38) to the inner chamber (40), and wherein an adjustable circular closing bushing (41) is inserted in the inner chamber (40), said bushing closing water tight towards the circular partition (25) and compris¬ ing a port (42) corresponding to the ports (39) of the partition (25), as well as an adjustable pin (43) ex¬ tending in the top wall through a groove (44). 11. A watering device as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterised in that the ports (42) in the closing bushing (41) are divided along the circumference of said closing bushing in such a manner that the closing bushing (41) in a first position closes all the ports (39) in the partition (26), in a second position opens only one port (39) in the partition (25), and in a third and fourth position, respectively, opens two and three ports, respectively, in the partition (26).

Inventors: WILLUMSEN STEEN, WILLUMSEN SVEN-AAGE, WILLUMSEN, STEEN, WILLUMSEN, SVEN-AAGE
Applicants: WILLUMSEN STEEN, WILLUMSEN SVEN A, WILLUMSEN, STEEN, WILLUMSEN, SVEN-AAGE
Application year: 1985
Main classification: A01G27
IPC codes: A01G27