Abstract:
A watering system for providing a flora-nourishing substance to flora. The system comprises a nourishment receiving and delivery mechanism for receiving and delivering the flora nourishing substance; and at least one percolation bore disposed adjacent to the flora and at least partially filled with a material for absorbing the nourishing substance.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a watering system and method of implementing it, more particularly, a system for watering flora in water-impermeable ground and a method of producing same. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In some geographic areas it is difficult for trees and shrubs to receive water and fertilization naturally, due to the ground conditions. 
         [0003]    For example, ground such as cohesive soil or other impermeable ground, which may comprise clay for example, require special watering and fertilization in order to achieve desirable growth. Climate conditions, such as those found in arid environments also contribute to natural watering difficulties. U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,436 and KR2074043 relate to such issues. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    According to one aspect, the present invention relates to a watering system for watering trees, shrubs and other such flora, the system particularly suited for use in an arid climate and/or where the ground does not readily absorb or hold water. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, the present invention provides a watering system for providing nourishment (e.g. water, fertilizer and the like) to flora, more particularly their roots. The system comprises: a nourishment receiving and delivery mechanism for receiving and delivering the flora nourishing substance; and at least one percolation bore disposed adjacent to the flora and at least partially filled with a material for absorbing the nourishing substance. 
         [0006]    According to particular embodiments, a sleeve is disposed within each percolation bore. The sleeve has a portion partially extending downward into each percolation bore and a portion extending above the surface of the ground. The portion extending above the ground has a plurality of first debris filtering apertures; and an anchoring member snugly fitting around the portion of the sleeve extending above the surface, or otherwise attached thereto, that allows water from the drainage bore to pass therethrough. 
         [0007]    According to particular embodiments, the watering system further comprises an insert disposed within the sleeve. The insert has a plurality of second debris filtering apertures and a precipitance floor peripherally disposed to a lower portion of the insert for collecting small debris that has breached the first debris filtering apertures. 
         [0008]    According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of implementing a watering system suitable for plantable flora, comprising the steps of: digging at least one percolation bore; filling the percolation bore at least partially with an absorbent material; connecting the at least one percolation bore to a nourishment receiving and delivery mechanism; and planting the flora adjacent the percolation bore. 
         [0009]    According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of implementing a watering system suitable for providing nourishment to an existing tree, comprising the steps of: digging a drainage bore; digging at least one percolation bore within the drainage bore; filling the percolation bore at least partially with an absorbent material; inserting a portion of a sleeve at least part way into the percolation bore downwardly, leaving at least a portion of the bore extended upwardly from the percolation bore; and inserting an insert within the sleeve; and disposing an anchoring member about the portion of the sleeve extending upwardly from the percolation bore. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The invention may be understood upon reading of the following detailed description of non-limiting exemplary embodiments thereof, with reference to the following drawings, in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of an embodiment of a watering system in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is an isometric front view of a sleeve of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is an isometric front view of a shielding mesh skirt of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a front view a percolation bore of  FIG. 1 , assembled with the sleeve of  FIG. 2  and the shielding mesh skirt of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional isometric view of the sleeve and the shielding mesh skirt of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a isometric view of another embodiment of the watering system in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of yet another embodiment of the watering system in accordance with the present invention; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view of additional embodiment of the watering system in accordance with the present invention which is adapted for use with dense soil. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]      FIGS. 1-6  show embodiments of a watering system  10  of the present invention including: a drainage bore  12 ; one or a plurality of spaced apart percolation bores  14  having sleeves  16  extending partway down into the percolation bores and also extending upward above the surface of the ground, which comprises a debris filtering portion  17 . 
         [0020]    According to some embodiments, sleeves  16  have lids  18  with handles  20  ( FIG. 2 ) and an anchoring member, such as a shielding mesh skirt  22 . According to other embodiments, lids  18  and handles  20  are attached to an insert (discussed below with reference to  FIG. 5 ). Percolation bores  14  are generally filled with absorbent material  23 , such as minerals (e.g. expanded or fine perlite, vermiculite, tuff, coconut fiber or any combination thereof) for helping absorb, retain and transmit nutritional substances, such as rain water and/or fertilizer in the vicinity of the roots  24  of flora such as tree  26 . 
         [0021]      FIGS. 2 and 3  show enlarged isometric views of one of the sleeves  16  and shielding mesh skirt  22 , respectively, of the watering system  10 . 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , filtering portion  17  of sleeve  16  comprises a plurality of first debris filtering apertures, such as holes  30  and slits  32 , which are typically more or less evenly distributed, to help prevent small-sized particles from infiltrating the sleeves  16 . Lid  18  is disposed on top of each sleeve  16 , typically integral with sleeve  16  for easy removal. Typically, handle  20  is sunken within lid  18 , for preventing unintended removal of the lid, for example, by passing animals, wind, hail, etc. Shielding mesh skirt  22  snugly fits around sleeves  16  ( FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  5 ) typically around filtering portion  17 . Shielding mesh skirt  22  may be made of a radiation resistant material, such as, but not limited to, dark colored plastics, for protecting the surface of the skirt from radiation, such as heat and sun, and is filled with large-sized particles (not shown), such as construction aggregates, e.g. gravel. The weight of such particles acts as an anchor preventing dislocation of the sleeves  16 . Shielding mesh skirt  22  also acts as a primary filtering element for materials such as leaves, stones, and the like. Sleeves  16  have mesh skirt supporting members or projections  36 , which are distributed about the lower part of filtering portion  17  for securing mesh skirt  22  to the filtering portion. 
         [0023]      FIG. 5  shows a cross sectional isometric view of one of the sleeves  16  and shielding mesh skirt  22 . As mentioned above, filtering portion  17  of sleeve  16  and shielding mesh skirt  22  help filter debris from water that has accumulated in drainage bore  12  ( FIG. 1 ). In this embodiment, the system comprises an insert  40  disposed within filtering portion  17  of sleeve  16 . Insert  40  comprises a cylindrical portion  38 , typically having a plurality of debris filtering apertures, such as openings  42 ; and a precipitance floor  44  for collecting accumulated debris. Floor  44  extends peripherally outward from the lower edge of cylindrical portion  38  and is typically sloped, but can be optionally formed as a flat base. Extending partway upward from the outer edge of floor  44  is a cylindrical wall  45  thereby forming an annular collection volume for accumulating debris. Insert  40  has a central opening  48  at its bottom wherethrough water can descend down into percolation bore  14  to be releasably absorbed by absorbent material  23  ( FIG. 4 ). 
         [0024]      FIG. 6  shows another embodiment of the watering system providing a sleeve  16  covered with a shielding mesh skirt  22  and a removably attached insert  40 . Insert  40  has a sloped floor  44  having an annular wall  50 , a cylindrical portion  38  and conical filter member  52 . As aforementioned, floor  44  and wall  45  are used as a collection volume for accumulating debris. Typically, filter member  52  has a plurality of filter accommodating apertures  54 . Fabric, plastic or other filter means can be arranged on apertures  54 . It is a particular feature of the present embodiment that filter member  52  has a sloped shape (e.g. inverted conical shape, as shown), to direct debris downward to floor  44 . 
         [0025]    It should be noted that insert  40  is removable for convenient removal of debris accumulated on floor  44 . In other embodiments, only insert  40  is disposed within sleeve  16 , yet floor  44  still can be individually and removably installed with the sleeve. 
         [0026]    In summary, there are three main water filtering stages. First, shielding mesh skirt  22  prevents large sized particles from entering sleeve  16 . Second, holes  30  and slits  32  filter smaller sized debris, and openings  42  provide yet a third filtering stage. As a result, water that collects in drainage bore  12  is filtered until it eventually is temporarily stored in absorbent material  23  prior to migrating into the ground adjacent the roots  24  of the flora. 
         [0027]    The number of bores  14  and the size and depth of each bore should be determined in accordance with the flora and climate conditions of the area. For example, a particularly arid area may require deeper and greater number of bores  12  and  14  to facilitate greater water accumulating efficiency. 
         [0028]    The present watering system  10  may have an associated irrigation system, such as, a sprinkler or dripper system. The irrigation may carry out by reclaimed water or by the water accumulated in other drainage bores. 
         [0029]      FIG. 7  shows an alternative implementation of the watering system in accordance with the present invention. Watering system  10  of this embodiment comprises: a percolation bore  14   a ; a flora nutrition conduit  53 ; and a nutrition supply source exemplified by a nourishment or water supply tank  56 . Flora nutrition conduit  53  and water supply tank  56  fulfill an analogous function to drainage bores  12  wherein they help provide water to the percolation bore  14   a.    
         [0030]    Percolation bore  14   a  is intended to be formed prior to the planting of tree  26  or other such flora, and is typically located beneath at least a portion of the base of the tree. Percolation bore  14   a  typically has a lower portion  58  at least partially filled with absorbent material (not visible), such as absorbent material  23 , for helping absorb, retain and transmit nutritional substances, such as water and/or fertilizer in the vicinity of the roots  62  of the tree  26 . An upper portion  64  of the percolation bore  14   a  is filled with soil dug out from the ground during the drilling of bore  14   a . Optionally, flora-nourishing substances, such as, fertilizers can be added to the soil. 
         [0031]    Nutrition conduit  53  can be made of any material suitable for plumbing, such as, plastic, metal, etc. that can convey a flora-nourishing substance from water supply tank  56  to the percolation bore&#39;s lower portion  58 . 
         [0032]    Thus, this implementation also helps provide a flora-nourishing substance to flora growing in cohesive/dense, semi or fully water impermeable soil. In addition, the absorbent material  60  of watering system  10  aides proper growth for the roots  62  of the tree  26  by encouraging their growing path to a deeper and more spread area beneath ground level. 
         [0033]      FIG. 8  shows another embodiment of the watering system in accordance with the present invention that is particularly suited for irrigation of dense soil. Watering system  70  of this embodiment comprises: a percolation bore  72 ; an external flora nutrition conduit  74 ; and a nutrition supply source exemplified by a nourishment or water supply tank  76 . In this embodiment, flora nutrition conduit  74  extends downward, adjacent but external to bore  72 . 
         [0034]    Percolation bore  72  is intended to be formed prior to the planting of tree  78  or other such flora, and is typically located beneath at least a portion of the base of the tree. Percolation bore  72  typically has a lower portion  80  at least partially filled with absorbent material  82  for helping absorb, retain and transmit nutritional substances, such as water and/or fertilizer in the vicinity of the roots  84  of tree  78 . Percolation bore  72  has an upper portion  86 , which can be filled with soil dug out from the ground during the drilling of bore  72 . Optionally, flora-nourishing substances, such as, fertilizers, can be added to the soil. Typically, the depth of external flora nutrition conduit  74  is approximately identical to the depth of upper portion  86  of the percolation bore  72 . 
         [0035]    It should be noted that this embodiment is distinctively adapted for use in dense soils, such as, loess and marl which are characterized by two main traits. First, contrary to the soil involved in the former embodiments, this soil can readily percolate water downward. Second, the particles of this dense soil have smaller air voids therebetween, thus flora growth is limited. When irrigating the flora, using the watering system of this embodiment, conduit  74  transfers water to an area surrounding lower portion  80  of bore  72 . The water discharges from conduit  74  and penetrates downward toward the roots of the flora, while excess water accumulates at absorbent material  23  and if needed can flow upward in accordance with capillarity forces. Thus, space for aeration (air voids) is preserved better, while excess water is held for future need for the flora. 
         [0036]    It should be understood that the above description is merely exemplary and that there are various embodiments of the present invention that may be devised, mutatis mutandis, and that the features described in the above-described embodiments, and those not described herein, may be used separately or in any suitable combination; and the invention can be devised in accordance with embodiments not necessarily described above.