Abstract:
A wall-hanging plant pot with a water level control device which keeps suitable moisture and air supplies in the pot. The wall-hanging plant pot comprising a screw or nail, a wall hanger, a container with bottle-neck bottom having one or more projections and bottle-neck bottom, a water level control device, and a cap.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/071,725, filed May 1, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,770 and Ser. No. 10/127,642, filed Apr. 22, 2002. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a plant pot, and more particularly to a wall-hanging pot which keeps the suitable water and air supplies so as to encourage the healthy growth of plants. The prior art abounds with plant pots or planters using different types of methods to hang pots on a wall and/or to control water level in pots or planters. Numerous such prior art pots are disclosed in United States patents as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 307,877 to White; Des. 409,854 to Rehmert et al.; 4,837,972 to Reed; 4,499,688 to Droll; 4,912,875 to Tardif; 5,042,197 to Pope; and 5,487,517 to Smith.  
           [0003]    While these prior art plant pots might be hung on a wall, overhead beam, or handrail and/or control water level in the pot, all suffer from numerous deficiencies and disadvantages. Some of them can be hung on a wall but are not easily removable from the wall. Some of them involve complicated parts or systems to control water level. The present invention overcomes these deficiencies and disadvantages in that it provides a new and improved wall-hanging plant pot with a water level control device that keeps the suitable moisture and air supplies in the pot for longer period.  
         SUMMERY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The wall-hanging plant pot of the present invention generally comprises a wall hanger, a container with one or more projections for holding a plant and soil, a water level control device, and a cap for controlling the flow of excess water.  
           [0005]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved wall-hanging plant pot which can be easily hung on a wall, detached from the wall, and placed in a different place without using special tools.  
           [0006]    It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved wall-hanging plant pot which controls the water level and keeps the suitable moisture and air supplies in the pot.  
           [0007]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved wall-hanging plant pot which allows excess water to gradually be drained for longer periods through a bottom opening by slightly loosening the cap or which can be taken indoor without drippings of water by tightening the cap.  
           [0008]    It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved wall-hanging plant pot which is simple and inexpensive in construction, which may be easily used at home or in other environments, for growing and displaying plants.  
           [0009]    Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and from the appended drawings in which like numbers have been used to designate like parts throughout the several views. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the wall-hanging plant pot of the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a front elevational, exploded view of the wall-hanging plant pot of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a front elevational, partially broken away and in section, view of the present invention having a plant and soil.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the wall-hanging plant pot of the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a front elevational, exploded view of the second embodiment of the wall-hanging plant pot of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the wall-hanging plant pot of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a front elevational, exploded view of the second embodiment of the wall-hanging plant pot of the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the water control device of the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the wall hanger of the first and second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the wall hanger of the third embodiment of the wall-hanging plant pot of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0020]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout, reference numeral  10  generally designates the wall-hanging plant pot of the present invention. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wall-hanging plant pot  10  generally comprises a screw or nail  54 , a wall hanger  48 , a container  22  with one or more projections  30 , and a cap  42 . As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 9, the wall hanger  48  includes a prong  50  and a screw-resting portion  52 . As best seen in FIG. 2, the container  22  includes an upper opening  24 , an upper annular portion  26  having one or more projections  30  with an opening  32  therein, an outwardly extending shoulder  28 , a wall  34 , and an lower portion  36  having an opening  40  surrounded by external threads  38 . As best seen in FIG. 8, a water level control device  12  includes an upper portion  14  having a plurality of openings  20 , a side wall  16 , and a lower opening  18 . As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, a cap  42  includes a central opening  44  and internal threads  46 .  
         [0021]    The several components of the wall-hanging plant pot  10  is best assembled from its exploded, separated, condition as shown in FIG. 2 to its assembled, joined, condition as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 in the following order:  
         [0022]    a. The water level control device  12  is inserted within the lower opening  40  of the container  22  through the upper opening  24 .  
         [0023]    b. The cap  42  is threadedly engaged with the threads  38  on the lower portion  36  of the container  22 .  
         [0024]    c. The small plant  136  and soil  132  are placed in the container  22 .  
         [0025]    d. The wall hanger  48  is attached to the container  22  by placing the prong  50  into the opening  32  in the projection  30  of the container  22 .  
         [0026]    e. The fully assembled container  22  and the wall hanger  48  are then hung on a wall by placing the screw-resting portion  52  of the wall hanger  48  onto a screw or nail  54  attached to the wall.  
         [0027]    After the wall-hanging plant pot  10  is assembled and the plant and soil are placed in the pot as generally explained, water or premixed solution is added to the container  22 . The excess water is drained through the openings  20  in the upper portion  14  of the water level control device  12 , and suitable amount of water  134  below the openings  20  remains at the bottom of the container  22  and is gradually absorbed by the soil  132 . The excess water drained through the openings  20  is released through the lower opening  40  of the container  22  by slightly loosening the cap  42 . The water level control device  12  and the container  12  can be held together by press-fit, and the height of the water level control device  12  can be adjusted by changing the depth of the insertion. The flow of excess water from the opening  40  can be controlled by adjusting the tightness of the cap  42 .  
         [0028]    A second embodiment of the wall-hanging plant pot is depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5 with like reference numerals referring to like parts. The embodiment depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5 differs from that disclosed in FIGS.  1 - 3  in the type of the container for holding a plant and soil. The container for the second embodiment includes two parts, an insert ring and a reservoir.  
         [0029]    Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the second embodiment of the wall-hanging plant pot comprises a screw or nail  54 , a wall hanger  48 , an insert ring  58 , a water level control device  12 , a reservoir  86 , a cap  42 . As best seen in FIG. 5, the insert ring  58  includes a central opening  60 , an upper annular portion  62  having one or more projection  64  with an opening  66  therein, an outwardly extending shoulder  68 , annular groove  70 , a lower annular portion  72 , a lower tapered portion  74 , a plurality of grippers  76 , and a plurality of slits  78 . As still best seen in FIG. 5, a reservoir  80  includes an upper opening  82 , a wall  84 , a lower portion  86  having an opening  90  surrounded by external threads  88 .  
         [0030]    The wall-hanging plant pot of the second embodiment is assembled to the condition generally depicted in FIG. 4 in the following order. First, insert ring is inserted into the upper opening  82  of the reservoir  80 . Second, the water level control device  12  is inserted into the opening  90  of the reservoir  80 , and then the cap  42  is threadedly engaged with the threads  88  on the lower portion  86  of the reservoir  80 .  
         [0031]    The insert ring  58  and reservoir  80  can be held together by friction fit. The grippers  76  and the slits  78  provide resiliency to the lower section (not numbered) of the insert ring  58  to enable the insert ring  58  to fit within the opening  82  of the reservoir  80  of varying internal dimensions. The grippers  76  penetrate the surface of the inner wall  84  of the reservoir  80  to secure the reservoir  80  to the insert ring  58 .  
         [0032]    Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the third embodiment of the wall-hanging plant pot comprises a screw or nail  54 , a wall hanger  92 , an adapter  98 , a reservoir  120 , a water level control device  12 , and a cap  42 . As best seen in FIG. 7, the wall hanger  92  includes a plurality of prongs  94  and a screw-resting portion  96 . As still best seen in FIG. 7, the adapter  98  includes a plurality of projections  104  having an opening  106  therein, a central opening  100 , an upper outer portion  102 , an outwardly extending shoulder  108 , a groove  110 , a lower outer portion  112 , a tapered portion  114 , a plurality of grippers  116 , and a plurality of slits  118 . As best seen in FIG. 7, the reservoir  120  includes an upper opening  122 , a side wall  124 , and a lower portion  126  having a lower opening  130  surrounded by threads  128 .  
         [0033]    The wall-hanging plant pot of the third embodiment is assembled to the condition generally depicted in FIG. 6 in the following order. First, the adapter  98  is inserted into the upper opening  122  of the reservoir  120 . Second, the water level control device is inserted into the lower opening  130  of the reservoir  120 , and then the cap  42  is threadedly engaged with threads  128  on the lower portion  126  of the reservoir  120 . Finally, the wall hanger  92  is attached to the adapter  98  by placing each prong  94  of the wall hanger  92  in the opening  106  on the projection  106  of the adapter  98 .  
         [0034]    The adapter  98  and reservoir  120  can be held together by friction fit. The grippers  116  and the slits  118  provide resiliency to the lower section (not numbered) of the adapter  98  to enable the adapter  98  to fit within the upper opening  122  of the reservoir  120  of varying internal dimensions. The grippers  116  penetrate the surface of the inner wall  124  of the reservoir  120  to secure the reservoir  120  to the adapter  98 .  
         [0035]    While particular embodiments of this invention have been shown in the drawings and described above, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modifications, variations, and adaptations without departing from the proper scope and fair meaning of the accompanying claims.