Abstract:
An irrigation display rack is provided is provided having a plurality of individual irrigation lines which may be positioned within the soil of a container or root-balled plant. The display rack provides a series of tiered support surfaces. A lower surface of the rack defines a water supply conduit to which individual irrigation lines are connected and in turn are used to water plants positioned on the support surfaces. The display rack may be moved and provides a structure for effective watering of plants while minimizing inconvenience to retail consumers.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/232,561 filed on Sep. 14, 2000, and which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to a commercial display rack useful in retail and wholesale outlets of potted nursery plants, especially large shrubs and trees. Most particularly, this invention relates to a display rack which facilitates the care and maintenance of the nursery material prior to purchase by the end consumer.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    In recent years there has been a tremendous growth in the number and volume of nursery plants sold in retail outlets. Currently, discount chain stores, building supply stores, and grocery/discount megastores all offer seasonal selections of landscaping plants. Typically, such retail outlets expand their inventory and selections during the peak growing seasons, often making use of parking lots and other temporary locations.  
           [0004]    The temporary expansion and outdoor location creates a situation where minimal care and attention is devoted to plants and the plants are further stressed by being in an exposed environment of direct sun and wind. The combination of location and lack of care brings about a high mortality rate of the nursery stock material. Further, improper watering will lower the quality of surviving plants in that signs of poor care, such as wilting, leaf senescence, and partial die back renders, the retail stock unsellable.  
           [0005]    In particular, lack of proper watering exerts a heavy toll upon the plants. Retail establishments are reluctant to water their nursery stock during regular business hours to avoid consumer complaints and to curtail possibly hazardous shopping conditions for consumers. Hose end sprinkler systems are at times used to water the plants. However, such sprinkler systems are inefficient for large container grown plants such as trees and shrubs. Accordingly, there remains a need and room for improvement within the art.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention is directed to a display rack suitable for use with container grown plants. In particular, the rack is useful for large container or bound root-balled plants such as trees or shrubs. The display rack facilitates the watering and irrigation of plants by providing a plurality of individual drip or low pressure sprinkler lines which may be positioned within each container on the display rack. Each irrigation line is in further communication with a water supply conduit which is preferably carried along a rear or lower surface of the display rack. The water conduit may be reversibly secured to a conventional hose so as to provide a supply of pressurized water.  
           [0007]    It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a series of irrigating display racks which may be attached in series so that the interconnected racks share a common water supply.  
           [0008]    It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide an irrigating display rack which may be easily moved and repositioned without disruption of the irrigation properties and features. Further, it is yet another aspect of this invention to provide a irrigating display rack which may be compactly stored in the off-season by inverted stacking of the display racks or stacking in a nested configuration.  
           [0009]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, including reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of an irrigating display rack having plants positioned for irrigation purposes;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the display rack similar to that of FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is rear perspective view of the display rack of FIG. 2 showing a second rack connected to a common water supply; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a close-up view of a low-pressure irrigation head used in the display rack of FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]    Reference now will be made in detail to the embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are set forth below. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment, can be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Other objects, features, and aspects of the present invention are disclosed in the following detailed description. It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present invention, which broader aspects are embodied in the exemplary constructions.  
         [0016]    In describing the various figures herein, the same reference numbers are used throughout to describe the same material, apparatus or process pathway. To avoid redundancy, detailed descriptions of much of the apparatus once described in relation to a figure is not repeated in the descriptions of subsequent figures, although such apparatus or process is labeled with the same reference numbers.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]    As best seen in reference to FIGS.  1 - 3  an irrigating display rack  10  is provided defining a plurality of flat display surfaces  12  arranged in a tiered step-wise arrangement. The display rack  10  may be mounted on a series of lower wheeled supports  14  which facilitates movement of the display rack.  
         [0018]    A water supply line  20  (FIG. 3), as seen here in the form of a plastic PVC pipe, is mounted along a lower rear surface of the rack and further defines a first connector  22  and a second connector  24  associated with respective pipe openings. Connectors  22  and  24  may be of a variety of forms such as simple threaded connectors for receiving a conventional garden hose. Likewise, one or both of connectors  22  or  24  may be provided by mated pair members of a quick connector. Such connectors are well known in the art and provide for a snap-on and snap-off attachment of hosing and related couplings.  
         [0019]    Water supply line  20  is in further communication with an outlet  26 , outlet  26  defining a series of discharge ports which are in fluid communication with a plurality of irrigation lines  28 . While for clarity the Figures illustrate outlet  26  positioned above a surface  12  of display rack  10 , the outlet  26  may be flush and/or recessed beneath the display surface  12  so as to minimize breakage or damage to the outlet from shifting inventory or off-season storage.  
         [0020]    A terminal end of each line  28  is in communication with watering head  32  which may be in the form of a low-volume sprinkler or drip tube. As seen in reference to FIG. 4, one preferred embodiment of the watering head  32  comprises a low-volume circular spray sprinkler head attached opposite a spiked end for placement of the sprinkler head within the soil medium of a potted plant. As seen in FIG. 4, the reference arrow indicates an adjustable spray pattern and volume may be provided to the sprinkler head. In the case of multiple trays or flats of small containers, the watering heads can be positioned within a few of the containers so as to provide irrigation coverage for adjacent containers and flats. However, other watering heads such as those designed to deliver one to three gallons per hour of a drip irrigation flow may be used.  
         [0021]    It is an aspect of one of the present inventions to provide an irrigation source for large container-grown plants. For the purposes of clarity and illustration, FIG. 1 is illustrated with relatively small plants housed on the irrigation rack  10 . In the instance of larger container-grown plants such as 4 foot or larger trees or shrubs, it is preferred that the irrigation heads  32  comprise a drip irrigation outlet. For such plants, drip irrigation is preferred in that remote impulse sprinklers are inefficient at providing the appropriate volume and rate of water flow.  
         [0022]    As illustrated in FIG. 3, the water supply line  20  may be positioned beneath the display surfaces along the rear of the display rack  10 . It is further envisioned that hollow frame members of the display rack may either define or house the water supply lines so as to simplify the construction of the display rack. It is further envisioned that multiple display racks, as indicated in FIG. 3, may be hooked together so as to share a common water source. The interconnection may be made by various lengths of hose or, alternatively, adjacent racks may have the first connector  22  fastened directly to a second connector  24  of an adjacent display rack. To facilitate the interconnection, the position, type, and arrangement of connectors  22  and  24  may be varied.  
         [0023]    The irrigation portion of the rack is adapted for use with low pressure and low volume sprinkler and irrigation head outputs. As such, either the inlet  24  and/or the outlet  26  should have therein a pressure restrictor valve or plate which is well known and conventionally used with low pressure irrigation systems. The pressure restrictor valve will limit the pressure of water transmitted to the tubing  28  so as to avoid rupture of the tubing  28  or the associated irrigation heads  32 .  
         [0024]    Additionally, the display rack of the present invention lends itself to an ornamental irrigation rack for residential use. Container-grown plants are used frequently in landscaping on decks, patios, and similar environments. Both ornamental plants and vegetable plants may be housed on the display rack. The irrigation rack may be used to advantage to maintain the plant material in a healthy, well watered condition and offers increased convenience over traditional watering methods.  
         [0025]    As seen in reference to FIG. 1, an individual potted plant  40  may be placed on one of the plurality of flat display surfaces  12 . One or more individual watering heads  32  may be inserted into the upper root ball and soil substrate of the potted container. When activated, a supply of water introduced into water supply line  20  along first connector  22  is free to flow through outlet  26  and into the plurality of irrigation lines  28 . Each irrigation line in turn is in communication with a respective watering head  32 .  
         [0026]    The display rack  10  is especially well suited for large container grown plants such as trees and small shrubs, as well as burlap-wrapped rooted balls. Such plants are often extensively root bound and require frequent, regular intervals of watering to avoid stress and/or death. Heretofore, the ability to maintain large container nursery stock in a healthy, hydrated condition, has been difficult. The present display rack allows a conventional external water source to be connected to the water supply line  20 . The availability of the supply of water may be controlled or regulated by a timer to facilitate evening and after hours watering of the plants.  
         [0027]    The rack may be constructed of a variety of suitable materials. The illustrated embodiment is constructed of a frame  50  of metal, plastic, or fiberglass supports  52 . Frame  50  further defines attachment locations for wheels  14 . The support surfaces  12  may be provided by an open grid or mesh of plastic or other suitable, durable material. The open mesh surface promotes drainage of excess water and increases air flow to prevent overly humid environments which may invite mold or other plant disease organisms.  
         [0028]    Other materials may also be used in place of the described support members  52 . For instance, a display rack may be constructed of pressure-treated wood or other durable wood selections. Likewise, strong plastic tubular or hollow supports may also be used to construct the frame. Further, frame and rack components may optionally be coated with a plastic substrate to provide additional longevity to the rack. The intended operating environment will expose the rack and the rack components to frequent watering intervals. Run off from the plant containers may include dissolved fertilizer components which may be corrosive to certain substrates. Accordingly, a protective coating layer of plastic or the use of chemically inert materials is preferred. While it is preferred that the display racks be portable, permanent structures of varying width and height may be provided and are in keeping with the scope of the present invention.  
         [0029]    Further, the present invention is particularly useful for seasonal inventory fluctuations in that the racks may be stored in either a nested or an inverted stacked configuration when not in use to minimize storage space. In addition, the mobile nature of the racks allows the racks to be positioned as needed to make changes to the display retail area or to provide temporary access. Additionally, the racks simplify the movement of valuable inventory to a more secure location during non-operating hours of the store.  
         [0030]    Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described using specific terms, devices, and methods, such description is for illustrative purposes only. The words used are words of description rather than of limitation. It is to be understood that changes and variations may be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit or the scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the following claims. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of the various embodiments may be interchanged, both in whole or in part. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained therein.