A SUPPORT DEVICE FOR POTTED PLANTS AND THE LIKE

Abstract: A pot plant-supporting device includes a saucer (1) and at least one plant supporting pin (7) which is supported on the rim (2) of the saucer. The pin (7) includes two generally parallel parts (8, 9) which are mutually displaced from one another longitudinally and generally in parallelism, wherein the parallel displacement of the pin parts corresponds essentially to the radius of the saucer, and wherein the pin attachment (6, 8, 12, 13) functions to establish at least one stable position of pin rotation in which the upper pin part (9) lies in the vicinity of the centre axis of the saucer.

Description: A SUPPORT DEVICE FOR POTTED PLANTS AND THE LIKE The invention relates to a device for supporting potted plants and the like, comprising a saucer and at least one support pin which can be fitted to the rim of the saucer so as to support at its upper part a plant stem or stalk which stretches upwards from a plant pot resting on the saucer. Plant supporting devices of the aforesaid kind are known from NO-B-141 585, AT-C-327598 and FR-A-1 254850, for instance. The known plant support devices thus obviate the need of inserting a pin or stick into the soil contained in a plant pot. Publications AT-C-327598 and NO-B-141 585 also disclose that the vertical plant-supporting pin shall be provided with a support arm which extends horizontally or obliquely upwards, such as to essentially intersect the vertical axis that extends through the vertical centre axis of the saucer or plant pot, so as to enable, for instance, a central plant stem in the pot to be tied at the intersection axis. One problem with such plant support devices, however, is that the centrally located plant-securing point cannot be dis¬ placed vertically, for instance to accompany upward growth movement of the stems or stalks of the plant. For instance, a plant-securing ring fixed to the stem of the plant is unable to move upwards along the central axis while guided by the pin, and no higher located part of the pin is found adjacent the growing central plant stem. An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a device with which the aforesaid drawback is avoided. This object is achieved with a plant-supporting device defined in the following Claim 1. Further embodiments of the invention are set forth in the following dependent Claims. The advantages afforded by the fundamental concept of the invention and its further developments as defined in the dependent Claims will be obvious to the skilled person, and the invention provides a device which, among other things, enables the centre of gravity of the growing plant to be easily kept at a central vertical axis, and also enables a pair of guide pins or sticks to be fastened alternatively to the saucer so as to form a basic structure to which a latticework or the like can be fitted, for instance when growing climbing or trailing plants. According to one embodiment, the invention requires a plant pot from which a central plant stem grows to be placed centrally on a pot saucer which forms part of the inventive device. The saucer is provided with a vertical bore or hole in two mutually diametrically opposed rim regions of the saucer. A support pin can be pushed firmly into the bore, and the pin will preferably have stabilizing fingers which are in stabilizing contact with the saucer wall at two pin positions which are mutually separated by an angle of 180°. The support pin includes two longitudinally separated and generally straight sections which are mutually connected by a spacer or intermediate section. The parallel displacement corresponds generally to the distance between the saucer centre axis to the bore in the rim of the saucer. One or two such pins can be fitted on the saucer rim, so that the upper part of the pin/pins will be directed generally vertically and located in the vicinity of a vertical axis that passes through the centre of the saucer, wherein the main plane of the saucer is thus a plane which lies normal to said axis. This enables the plant stem to be very easily tied or otherwise secured to the pin/pins and enables the tie to be moved upwards in relation to the pin. Two support pins of the inventive kind can also be attached to diametrically opposing saucer edges in corresponding rotational positions, such that the aforesaid parts of the pin will lie in a common axial plane to the saucer, with the free pin-parts located at the greatest distance from the axis. Connecting elements can be used to extend the upper pin-parts vertically and/or to mutually connect the two, possibly extended upper ends of the support pins, so that together they form a frame in which trailing or climbing plants can be tied so as to be located in the axial plane of the saucer and the pot and preferably weight-centred in relation to the centre axis of said saucer and pot. The inventive plant supporting device enables deviation of the centre of gravity of the plant from the central vertical axis of the saucer and the pot to be prevented in the best possible way, and to an extent which will not jeopardize the stability of the plant and pot unit. Another advantage afforded by the inventive plant-supporting device is that when the supporting pins are positioned so that their upper parts lie close to the centre axis of the saucer, the upper part/parts of the supporting pin/pins can be hidden behind or among the leaves of the plant in a particularly effective manner. Because the upper part of the pin is located level with the growth axis of a central plant stem, the stem can be tied or otherwise secured to the pin or pins higher up as the height of the stem increases with growth. The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplifying embodiment thereof and also with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a schematic axial section view of an inventive device supporting a potted plant in a pot seated on a pot saucer; Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line II-II in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 and shows the supporting pin in a rotational position which devi- ates through one-half turn from the position shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a schematic axial section view of an inventive device mounted to form a tying frame for a trailing or climbing plant; Fig. 5 illustrates schematically an alternative embodiment of a pin attachment point on the plant pot, and illustrates the end-part of the pin in engagement with the pot; and Fig. 6 is a view taken on the line VI-VI in Fig. 5. Fig. 1 illustrates a rotationally symmetrical pot saucer 1 having a circumferential rim comprising a vertical inner wall and outer wall 3, 4. A bore 6 is provided in the horizontal upper edge 5 of the rim. The bottom part 8 of a plant- supporting pin 7 is pushed into the bore 6. The pin 7 also has an upper part 9 which will be positioned generally vertically when the saucer 1 stands on a horizontal surface. The upper part 9 of the pin is connected to the bottom part 8 thereof by means of a connecting part 10 which places the upper part 9 in the vicinity of the central symmetrical axis 11 of the saucer 1 in the shown rotational position of the pin 7 around the axis represented by the bottom part 8 of said pin. This rotational position is defined by two fingers 12, 13, which are mutually parallel and engage the inner wall 4 of said rim when the bottom part 8 of the pin engages in the bore 6, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The bore 6 is slightly closer to the inner wall 4 than to the outer wall 3, there¬ with enabling the pin 7 to be mounted on the rim 2 in a rotationally secured position as illustrated in Fig. 3 and spaced through 180° from the position shown in Fig. 2, wherein the fingers 12, 13 lie against the outer wall 3 of said rim. The connecting part 10 may be straight and will preferably define an angle of about 135° with the pin parts 8, 9. The pin part 8 has a length which places the connecting part 10 above the rim of a plant pot 21. It will be evident that a central stem 20 growing from a plant in a pot 21 that stands on the saucer 1 can be easily supported, by tying a band around the stem 20 and the upper part 9 of the pin, as shown in Fig. 1. It is also evident that a further pin 7 can be fitted into the bore 6 on the diametrically opposite side of the saucer, so as to improve plant tying stability. Fig. 4 shows two pins 7 fitted into two diametrically opposed rim bores 6 , with the orientations illustrated in Fig. 3. The upper parts 9 of the pins are extended with tubular members 15, which may be telescopic, and the upper ends of the tubular element 15 receive, in turn, the ends of a springy arcuate member 16, which has a generally straight shape memory and which therefore strives to spring apart the two remaining ends of the tubular elements 15. A framework can be fitted in the loop or arch formed by the pins 7, the members 15 and the arch 16, and in one embodiment the framework or latticework 17 is formed by a preferably elastic line 18 wound in zig-zag fashion in the established arch. The distance between the upper parts 9 of the two pins 7 is now approximately twice the diameter of the saucer, so as to provide sufficient space for tying or securing trailing or climbing plants in an axial plane to the saucer 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the saucer rim 2 may be provided on its outside with two diametrically opposed bulges 22. Each bulge is also provided with a bore 6 for receiving the pin part 8. The bottom pin part is also provided with two vertical fingers 12, 13 which lie respectively against the outer wall 3 of the rim adjacent the bulge 22. The bore 6 is placed along a line which connects the two fingers 12, 13 as viewed in Fig. 5, therewith enabling the modified pin of the embodiment in Figs. 5 and 6 to have two stable attachment positions that are mutually spaced through 180°.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A supporting device for pot plants, comprising a pot saucer (1) and at least one plant support pin (7) which is detachably attached to the saucer (2), characterized in that the support pin (7) includes two essentially parallel parts (8, 9) which are displaced essentially parallel from one another, wherein the parallel displacement of said pin parts corresponds generally to the radius of the saucer, and wherein the attachment means (6, 8, 12, 13) for attachment of the pin to the saucer is arranged to establish at least one stable rotational position of the pin (7) in which the upper part (9) of the pin lies in the proximity of the central vertical centre axis (11) of the saucer. 2. A device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the pin attachment is arranged to enable the pin (7) to be non- rotatably attached to the rim (2) of the saucer in two rotational positions rotation that are mutually separated by an angle of about 180°. 3. A device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized by at least two supporting pins (7) which can be fitted to the saucer rim at two diametrically opposed regions thereof. 4. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, charac¬ terized in that the bottom end of the pin (7) includes an attachment fork that has three parallel fingers (8, 12, 13) which lie in the corners of an isosceles triangle, wherein the finger (8) is intended to grip at the apex of the triangle into a vertical bore (6) provided in the edge (3) of the saucer, whereas the two remaining fingers (12, 13) lie against the inner wall (4) or the outer wall (3) of the saucer rim. 5. A device according to Claim 4, characterized in that the bore (6) is located nearer to the inner wall (4) than to the outer walls (3) . 6. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, charac¬ terized in that the bottom end (8) of the pin (7) is provided with an attachment fork which includes three mutually equidistant fingers (8, 12, 13) which extend parallel with the pin and which lie in a common plane; and in that the rim (2) of the saucer is provided on its outer surface with a bulge (22) having provided therein a vertical bore (6) for receiving the central finger (8), wherein the two remaining fingers (12, 13) function to support against the outer wall (3) of the saucer rim on respective opposite sides of the bulge (22), in both of the 180°-separated rotational posi¬ tions of the pin. 7. A device according to Claim 6, characterized in that the saucer rim has a bulge (22) in two diametrically opposed regions of said rim. 8. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, compris¬ ing two pins (7) which are fitted to the saucer rim at diametrically opposed regions thereof, wherein the pins are orientated in rotational positions in which the upper parts (9) of said pins lie at a greater radial distance from the centre of the saucer than the bottom parts of said pins; and in that a preferably springy bridging member (16) is connect¬ ed to the upper ends of the upper parts (9) of said pins or to extension pieces (15) connected to said upper parts (9), such as to form a closed arch which lies essentially in an axial plane of the saucer. 9. A device according to Claim 8, characterized by a latticework or like structure (17) formed in the arch formed by said pins and the bending-springy bridging member (16). 10. A device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the latticework or like structure is formed with the aid of a preferably elastic wire or rod which is wound in zig-zag fashion between the vertical side parts of the arch; and in that the bending-springy bridging member (16) strives to move apart the upper parts (9) of said pins.

Inventors: KLEVSTAD SVEN, KLEVSTAD, SVEN
Applicants: KLEVSTAD SVEN, KLEVSTAD, SVEN
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A01G9
IPC codes: A01G9