Abstract:
A pot for containing a plant having a bottom peripheral edge adapted for insertion or installation into a garden bed. In one embodiment, the pot is a normal truncated conical shape and the lower peripheral edge is irregular so as to use that bottom edge to more securely position the pot within a hole in the ground. The irregularity of the lower peripheral edge can be a plurality of teeth that bite into the ground and position the pot in the hole when the user rotates the pot while forcing it downwardly toward the ground. The bottom edge is thus used to cause the pot to settle firmly within the hole dug in the ground. In another embodiment, the pot is empty and is installed in the garden to provide decoration, by positioning the pot against the garden bed, and then pushing the pot into place. The upper rim of the pot may be decorative and may be located above the level of the ground.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority from non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 15/218,780 filed on Jul. 25, 2016, which is a continuation-in part of patent application Ser. No. 13/738,177 filed on Jan. 10, 2013 which, in turn, claims priority from provisional application 61/584,869 filed on Jan. 10, 2012. The entire contents of each of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference into this application. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to the area of gardening and particularly to pots containing and displaying plants, including flowers. More particularly, the invention concerns a pot for plants that does not have a bottom associated therewith. 
         [0003]    In the area of gardening, and including both indoor and outdoor gardening activities, it is known that plant pots have been and are available at either lack of bottom or a bottom that is removable. Most of the pots for which bottoms are either lacking or are removable, offer such feature to enable the gardener to remove the plant and its surrounding soil with ease. It should be noted that most pots for plants have an open top and tapered vertical side walls, so that diameter of the pot increases from the bottom thereof to the open top. In this connection, therefore, the pot having the removable bottom or lacking a bottom entirely can be seen to facilitate the ease of removal of the plant from the pot, when such is desired. 
         [0004]    In general, plants disposed in self-standing pots of the type described, are usually intended for presentation and location above ground, and often in a nursery, or other structure as well as in the home, office and other habitats and environments. More recently, interest has also developed in the ability for plants in such pots to be disposed in an outdoor environment and particularly, within a garden. In such connection, the gardener likewise wishes to place the pot with the plant and its surrounding soil disposed therein, at least partially into the ground of the garden. 
         [0005]    One of the difficulties that has attended the disposition of such pots and plants within an outdoor garden environment has been the means by which the plant could be easily and securely positioned within the garden. That is, while a hole or the like could be excavated in the garden bed to receive the potted plant, there would remain the stable securement of the plant within the hole following the insertion thereinto. Often, the weather conditions in the outdoor environment are uncertain and frequently turbulent, so that the disposition of the plant within the garden bed could be in jeopardy. Thus, while a closely configured hole could be excavated and the pot with the plant material contained therein could be inserted therein, the exposure of the plant to rain, wind, and the like might dislodge the plant and thereby subject the plant to damage or destruction as a result. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, a need is believed to exist for a simple, efficient and secure construction and corresponding procedure whereby potted plants may be disposed in and outdoor environment within a garden and may retain a stable disposition in a secure growing environment and will likewise gain the benefits of the improvement and appearance that often results from disposition in an outdoor growing environment. It is toward the achievement of the afore-noted objectives and objects that the present invention is directed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Accordingly, in a first embodiment, the present invention relates to a pot for a plant such as a flower plant that can be used to secure the position of the pot within a hole dug in the ground. 
         [0008]    Thus, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a pot has means for securing the pot within a hole dug in the ground, comprising a continuous side wall with a lower peripheral edge that has a suitably configured margin or formation, which margin or formation assists in the insertion of the pot into a garden bed, and can be used when inserted in a pre-dug hole in such garden bed, to pass through or remove dirt at either the side walls or the bottom thereof, to thereby stabilize the positioning of the pot within such hole. In other embodiments, no pre-dug hole is required. 
         [0009]    In an exemplary embodiment, the irregular margin or formation is a serrated lower edge and may be one or more downwardly directed teeth for engaging and cutting into the ground. In one exemplary embodiment, the teeth are formed around the entire periphery of the lower edge of the flower pot. 
         [0010]    As such, with the present invention, the pot preferably containing a plant and surrounding soil therein, can be placed in a pre-dug hole in the ground and then rotated about its longitudinal axis by the user while applying a downward force to cause the teeth to bite into and secure the resting position of the pot within the hole. 
         [0011]    In a second embodiment, the plant pot of the invention can be used for purposes of decoration for plants already present in an outside garden. The pot is thereby prepared with a decorative upper rim and a lower margin or formation adapted for insertion into the ground. The pot can be inserted into the ground with the rim facing upward and the margin or formation placed against the garden bed, with installation being made such as by downward pressure applied against the rim to urge the pot into the ground. The pot in this embodiment is likewise visible with the decorative rim thereof facing upward in the garden bed after insertion. Such installation can be made where there is no hole in the ground and also, when the pot is empty, so that the pot provides a decorative frame that surrounds a plant already in the ground. 
         [0012]    By using the pot in the manners described, it is assured that the pot is securely located within the hole that has been dug, and will remain stably therein despite adverse outdoor conditions Likewise, and in the alternative instance where such a pot may be placed in the ground prior to the introduction of a plant and soil thereinto, the same stability is assured. 
         [0013]    These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is perspective view of a plant pot of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the plant pot of  FIG. 1  and illustrating the method of the present invention used to secure the pot within a hole in the ground; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a two-part plant pot in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the two-part plant pot of  FIG. 3  in which the parts are connected; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a top view of a two-part plant pot; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is an elevation view of the embodiment of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is an elevation view of one of the plant pot halves of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a partial view of one of the plant pot halves shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is another partial view of the plant pot half of  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a partial view of the two-part plant pot showing an upper zip tie closure used to connect the plant pot halves; 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  is a partial view of the two-part plant pot showing a lower zip tie closure used to connect the plant pot halves; 
           [0025]      FIG. 12  is a close-up view of a top connection tab used to join the two plant pot halves; 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  is a close-up view of a bottom connection tab used to join the two plant pot halves; 
           [0027]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a four-part plant pot in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the four-part plant pot of  FIG. 14  in which the parts are connected; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view of one of the parts of the four-part plant pot of  FIG. 14 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0030]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown, a perspective view of a pot  10  constructed in accordance with the present invention. As can be seen, pot  10  is comprised of a continuous side wall  12  and an open bottom  14 . As is conventional with the shape of flower pots, the continuous side wall  12  may be a truncated conical shape with a larger diameter top edge  16  and a smaller diameter lower peripheral edge  18 . The terms pot, plant pot, planter pot, and flower pot shall be shall be considered equivalent, interchangeable terms throughout this application. 
         [0031]    The lower peripheral edge  18  is designed to be of an irregular shape that enables the lower peripheral edge  18  to be used for the purpose of the present invention, that is, to secure the location of the flower pot  10  within a hole that has been dug in the ground. 
         [0032]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , that irregular shape of the lower peripheral edge  18  is a serrated edge and can include a plurality of v-shaped indentations  20  and downwardly directed v-shaped teeth  22 . 
         [0033]    As shown, the irregular shape can be provided fully along the entire periphery of the lower peripheral edge  18 , or, alternatively, can be discrete irregularities, such as the teeth  22 , or groups of teeth  22 . It is sufficient that there are enough teeth  22  to carry out the purpose of the presence of the irregular lower peripheral edge  18  as will be later explained. 
         [0034]    The pot  10  may be comprised of a variety of materials, such as suitable plastic materials, metals or clay. Particular materials that are contemplated include wood, stone, plastic power, and plastics such as fiberglass, polyurethane and polypropylene, and any combination of the aforesaid materials. Further, it should be understood that the invention is not limited by the composition of the material from which the pot is constructed, and all suitable materials are to be included herein. 
         [0035]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a side view of pot  10  of  FIG. 1  and illustrating the embodiment where the irregular surface of the lower peripheral edge  18  is comprised of teeth  22  in order to illustrate the method of securing the position of pot  10  within a hole in the garden bed, in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0036]    In  FIG. 2 , therefore, it can be seen that the hands  24  of the user are shown grasping the top edge  16  of the pot  10 , and that the pot  10  is submerged beneath the surface of the ground  26  in a hole that has been previously dug for pot  10 . 
         [0037]    Accordingly, with this position, the user can simply rotate pot  10  about its central longitudinal axis “A” with the use of the hands  24 , while exerting a downward force on the pot  10  to secure pot  10  in the ground. 
         [0038]    The rotational motion exerted by the hands  22  on the pot  10  may be simply a continual one-direction rotation or may be a back and forth rotation in order to allow the teeth  22  to engage the side walls and bottom of the hole in the ground, and to thereby remove any dirt that may obstruct the desired insertion and securement of pot  10  within the ground. 
         [0039]    Again, the present pot  10  and method of using the same can be used to securely embed the pot within the hole previously dug in the ground. As shown, the top edge  16  may remain above the level of the ground and may have a decorative finish  28 . 
         [0040]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , pot  30  is shown that depicts a construction suitable for use as a frame for a plant already in a garden bed. Like pot  10  shown in  FIG. 1 , pot  30  has a continuous sidewall  32  and an open bottom  34 . The lower margin or formation of pot  30 , labeled  38 , is shown as disposed at a bias or an angle with respect to the plane containing the upper rim or top edge  36 , although this configuration is presented by way of non-limiting illustration only. 
         [0041]    In practice, pot  30  may be lowered or inserted into an existing garden bed so that it frames or surrounds a plant already located and permanently installed in that bed. The biased lower margin or formation permits the placement of the product at an angle to the surface of the bed as well as in a flat or parallel position. The user needs only to place pot  30  in the desired position and orientation for insertion in the ground, and then push pot  30  downward, as by pressure against top edge  36 . If desired or required, pot  30  may be rotated about its vertical axis, as is done with pot  10 , to assist in the installation. A representative installation of pot  30  in a garden bed is shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0042]    In an alternate embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5-6 , a pot  40  is formed by attaching two or more sections (shown in the FIGS with two half sections). Specifically,  FIGS. 5-6  depict a first semi-circular side wall  42   a  attaches to a second semi-circular side wall  42   b  by way of one or more fastening means to form a continuous, unbroken side wall of pot  40 .  FIGS. 10-13  illustrate how the two semi-circular walls are connected along their edges. The continuous side wall has an upper rim  46  and a lower peripheral edge  48  that defines an open bottom  50 . The lower peripheral edge includes a formation of serrated teeth  52  separated by v-shaped indentations  54 . The serrated teeth are suitable for gouging the ground, while pot  40  has sufficient rigidity to be inserted into the ground by rotating the pot to gouge the ground. 
         [0043]    In a preferred version of this alternate embodiment, the one or more fastening means include four zip tie closures  56 . The first zip tie closure adjoins the upper portion of the first semi-circular sidewall to an opposing upper portion of the second semi-circular wall. A second zip tie closure adjoins a lower portion of the first semi-circular sidewall to an opposing lower portion of the second semi-circular wall. A third zip tie closure adjoins an opposite end upper portion of the first semi-circular sidewall to an opposing upper portion of the second semi-circular wall. A fourth zip tie closure adjoins an opposite end lower portion of the first semi-circular sidewall to an opposing lower portion of the second semi-circular wall. In this way, the zip tie closures tightly join the first and second semi-circular walls together along their respective edges and hold them together in tight alignment. 
         [0044]    Two of the zip tie closures include a pair of upper connection tabs  58   a  and two of the zip tie closures include a pair of lower connection tabs  58   b  with openings to allow a zip tie clasp  62  to be looped through the aligned openings and tightened around the connection tabs, thus tightly joining the semi-circular walls together along their respective edges  66 . More specifically, the semi-circular walls are joined along their vertical cross-sectional surfaces, as defined by the thickness of the semi-circular walls. Although Applicant refers to upper and lower connection tabs, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the connection tabs may be positioned elsewhere along the edges of each semi-circular sidewall. 
         [0045]    According to this alternate embodiment, each of the lower connection tabs  58   b  extend from a vertical edge  66  of the first or second semi-circular sidewalls, while the upper connection tabs  58   a  are integrated with the upper rim  46 , forming a wall at both ends of the rim as shown in  FIG. 14 . When the semi-circular walls are joined together along their vertical cross-sectional surfaces the upper connection tabs  58   a  and lower connection tabs  58   b  of one semi-circular sidewall are joined with corresponding upper connection tabs  58   a  and lower connection tabs  58   b  of the other semi-circular wall. A zip tie clasp  62  can then be used to tie the tabs together by passing the zip tie clasp through the aligned openings  60  in each upper and lower pair of tabs and tightly locking the zip tie clasp around the tabs. 
         [0046]    One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the number of fastening means may vary from one embodiment to another. For instance, although the instant disclosure describes four zip tie closures, a different number of zip tie closures may be utilized to accomplish the objective of securely adjoining the first and second semi-circular sidewalls. Moreover, other types of connections may be utilized to securely adjoin the first and second semi-circular sidewalls. These other types of connections may include, but are not limited to, clips, pins, plugs, sockets, hooks, fasteners, latch mechanism, and other connectors that accomplish the stated objective. In addition, one of ordinary skill will recognize that the pot  40  may be formed from more than two semi-circular sections that are combined to form bottomless pot  40 . In addition, the two half sections can be attached and detached as desired by a user by simply connecting and disconnecting the sections. 
         [0047]    In still further embodiments of the present invention, the two or more semi-circular sections could be connected in a fixed but movable manner on one or more sections, such as with a hinge or other flexible means allowing for the opening and closing of the sections, and the fastening means may be utilized to secure the pot in a fixed position. In these embodiments, the hinges or other flexible means may be utilized to get the pot into position and then the pot may be secured together via one or more fastening means. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous types of hinges or other flexible means that could be utilized with embodiments of the present invention, and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with any appropriate hinge or other flexible means. 
         [0048]    In a further embodiment shown in  FIG. 16  a method is provided for securing a planter pot in the ground and surrounding a plant. One step of the method includes providing a bottomless pot having two attached semi-circular sidewalls and a lower peripheral edge  70 . The peripheral edge has a formation of serrated teeth suitable for digging into the ground. Another step includes placing the pot with lower peripheral edge in contact with the ground  72  and rotating the pot to cause the serrated teeth of the peripheral edge to move the dirt to securely position the pot within the ground  74 . The pot may be rotated in different ways including rotating the pot in a back and forth motion, rotating the pot in a continuous circular motion, or any other way that is suitable for digging into the ground. 
         [0049]    This method may further include placing the pot with the lower peripheral edge in contact with the ground over an existing plant already located in the ground. The pot can then be rotated as before to securely position the pot within the ground and frame the existing plant. 
         [0050]    Some benefits of the plant pot described herein include protecting and enhancing the landscape. The plant pot is intended to add aesthetic appeal to an existing landscape while allowing plants to root directly into the ground, naturally. Further, the plant pot contains plants without the confinement of a traditional planter. Another important benefit is that the plant pot protects plants and low growing flowers from lawn mowers and trimmers. The sidewalls of the pot also act as a deterrent to rodents and other small animals, especially when the pot contains herbs. 
         [0051]    The two-piece embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5-6  provides added curb appeal by framing an object such as the post of a traditional mailbox. As previously discussed, the two pieces may be rotatably connected, as by a hinge, and can thus open and close around plants or other objects, such as lawn ornaments and lamp posts, while still having a large enough interior space to plant flowers. One of ordinary skill will appreciate that the planter pot can accommodate a wide variety of plants and/or objects. 
         [0052]    According to another embodiment shown in  FIG. 14 , an expandable planter pot  80  is formed by connecting a set of arcuate sections or shells in such a manner that they form a continuous planter pot with no gaps between sections. When connected, each section is in tight alignment with each other section, such that the top and bottom edges of each section form a continuous rim and bottom edge, respectively, of said planter pot. 
         [0053]    The arcuate sections are configured to be joined along their respective vertical sides, thereby forming a continuous, unbroken sidewall of the bottomless planter pot. The sidewall has an upper rim and a lower peripheral edge that defines an open bottom. The lower peripheral edge has a formation of serrated teeth suitable for gouging the ground and the assembled pot is sufficient rigid to be inserted. into the ground by rotating the pot to gouge the ground. 
         [0054]    In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 14-15 , the multi-part planter pot  80  is assembled from four arcuate sections. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that any number of sections can be used to form the multi-part planter pot. An individual section  82  of the multi-part planter pot is illustrated in  FIG. 16 , while a set of four adjoining sections is illustrated in  FIG. 15 . As with the planter pot described above, any suitable material may be used to form the individual sections, but in a preferred embodiment the sections are made of plastic through an injection molding process. 
         [0055]    The arcuate sections  82  of the currently described embodiment may be connected to each other in any number of ways, including the zip-tie closures previously described. Other means of attachment include friction fitting or press-fitting one or more interface pins, nubs or other protuberances that extend from a section side into corresponding cavities in another section side. The sections can thus be plugged into each other forming a tight connection between sections. 
         [0056]    As with the two-section planter pot described above, there are many ways to connect the sections including, but not limited to, clips, pins, plugs, sockets, hooks, fasteners, latch mechanism, and other connectors that accomplish the stated objective. In addition, one of ordinary skill will recognize that the multi-part pot  80  may be formed from more or less than four sections, such as two, three, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, or any number of sections. In every case, the arcuate sections will connect to form a planter pot with a continuous wall as described herein. 
         [0057]    The size of the multi-part planter pot may be affected by the number of sections used to form the pot. For example, a pot composed of six sections may be larger than a pot composed of four sections. The size and/or number of arcuate sections used to assemble the expandable planter pot thus affects the overall size of the assembled pot. One or more arcuate sections may be added or removed from the planter pot to expand or reduce the size of the pot. More specifically, the surface area of the continuous wall of the planter pot is expanded when a section is added, and reduced when a section is removed. Furthermore, different sets of shells having different numbers, sizes, or shapes of shells can be sold as kits for assembling different sized or shaped planter pots. 
         [0058]    In addition, each constituent section may include one or more wall extenders that extend from one or both vertical sides. The wall extenders can be attachable wall components that attach to the sides of two arcuate sections forming a bridge section between them, or may be slide-out wall extenders that slide out from a hollow wall of an arcuate section. The attachable wall extenders are separate components that connect two arcuate sections, thereby forming an expanded wall of the planter pot. Similarly, the slide-out wall extender extends from an arcuate section and connects to another arcuate section, thereby forming an expanded wall. In either case, the wall extender forms a connection between two arcuate sections using any of the connection means described in this application. The wall extenders expand the size of the planter pot by increasing the surface area of the continuous wall that defines the planter pot. The wall extenders thus allow a user to enlarge the size of the planter pot to accommodate different needs. 
         [0059]    In a further embodiment, a method is provided for securing a multi-part bottomless planter pot in the ground to surround a plant. The method includes the step of attaching the arcuate sections together to form the multi-part bottomless planter pot  80 . The planter pot is placed with the lower peripheral edge in contact with the ground and the pot is rotated to cause the serrated teeth to move the dirt so as to securely entrench the pot within the ground. 
         [0060]    Those skilled in the art will readily recognize numerous adaptations and modifications which can be made to the plant pot and method of securing the location of the same in the ground using the pot, that will result in an improved pot and method of using the same, yet all of which will fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined in the following claims. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the following claims and their equivalents.