Abstract:
A partitioned planter for expandable compartmentalized plant growth includes an outer container and removable progressively smaller inner compartments. The planter provides water drainage and molded features to retain and position the inner compartments. The removable compartments each have a plurality of flat wall sections which are assembled to form a structure which contains the plant roots during growth. The wall segments also include stiffening brackets which engage top perimeter edges of forwardly adjacent wall members for additional structural stabilization.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present invention was first described in a notarized Official Record of Invention on Jul. 28, 2010, that is on file at the offices of Montgomery Patent and Design, LLC, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to gardening devices, and in particular, to a partitioned modular planter which provides for progressive expansion of the growing container in response to the growth of a plant. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Plants, flowers, shrubs and trees are a welcome addition to almost any indoor or outdoor landscaping project. Their vibrant colors combined with their unique live appearance often form the centerpiece of most architectural landscaping. Most of these plants begin their life from a seed that grows in a small pot, then transplanted to a larger pot, and perhaps even undergo one (1) or two (2) more transplants throughout their life cycle. This transplant process requires the user to lift the planting out of the pot which can subject it to damage or shock. It can also cause damage to the roots themselves causing plant death. This transplanting process equates to loss in plants, time, and expense. Furthermore, this process typically wastes potting soil and requires multiple pots and containers per plant. 
     While various pots and planters are available to care for the growth of a plant throughout its life cycle, none of the current devices or methods address these problems and each suffers from one or more defect or deficiency. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The inventor has therefore recognized the aforementioned inherent problems and lack in the art and observed that there is a need for means by which various plants can be re-planted or re-potted without the disadvantages as described above. In accordance with the invention, it is an object of the present embodiments to solve one or more of these problems. 
     The inventor recognized these problems and has addressed this need by developing a partitioned planter that provides for transplanting of various types of plants in a manner which is quick, easy, and effective, which also improves plant life and does not disturb the root system. The inventor has thus realized the advantages and benefits of providing the partitioned planter including an outer container having a floor and four wall members which define an outer cavity. A middle wall assembly is removably attachable to the container floor and is located interior to the container wall members, thus defining a middle cavity. An inner wall assembly is also removably attachable to the container floor and is interior to the middle wall assembly, thus defining an inner cavity. When assembled, the inner cavity, the middle cavity, and the outer cavity in combination provide separate planting volumes of progressively larger size to accommodate the plant throughout its growth cycle as the root system becomes larger and requires more space. 
     The container floor further includes a plurality of wall retaining features. Each wall retaining feature is formed by a pair of semi-circular protrusions defining a gap to removably retain lower edges of the middle assembly and the inner wall assembly therebetween. 
     The middle wall assembly includes four (4) generally “L”-shaped middle wall segments. Each middle wall segment has a middle wall panel and a middle wall overlap feature which extends perpendicularly from a longitudinal side edge of the middle wall panel. When assembled, the middle wall overlap feature of each middle wall segment covers over a longitudinal side edge portion of a perpendicularly positioned adjacent middle wall segment to form a generally rectangular structure smaller in size that the outer container and defining the middle cavity. 
     The inner all assembly includes four (4) generally “L”-shaped inner wall segments. Each inner wall segment has an inner wall panel and an inner wall overlap feature extending perpendicularly from a longitudinal side edge of the inner wall panel. When assembled, the inner wall overlap feature of each inner wall segment covers over a longitudinal side edge portion of a perpendicularly positioned adjacent inner wall segment to form a generally rectangular structure smaller in size than the middle wall assembly and defining the inner cavity. 
     A method of providing growth care for the potted plant throughout its growth cycle is achieved by providing the outer container having the floor and four (4) wall members defining the outer cavity. The middle wall assembly is removably attached to the container floor interior to the container wall members to form the middle cavity. The inner wall assembly is removably attached to the container floor interior to the middle wall assembly to form the inner cavity. The inner cavity, middle cavity, and outer cavity are each filled with a potting soil mixture and the plant is positioned and planted within inner cavity. The inner wall assembly is removed from the outer container as the root system of the plant grows larger, thus growing the plant from within the middle cavity. The middle wall assembly is removed from said outer container as the root system of the plant grows larger, thus growing the plant from within the outer cavity. 
     Furthermore, the described features and advantages of the disclosure may be combined in various manners and embodiments as one skilled in the relevant art will recognize. The disclosure can be practiced without one (1) or more of the features and advantages described in a particular embodiment. 
     Further advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a partially cut-away perspective view of a partitioned planter, according to a preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the partitioned planter, according to the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a middle wall segment of the partitioned planter, according to the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an inner wall segment of the partitioned planter, according to the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a close-up view of a stiffener feature of the partitioned planter, according to the preferred embodiment; and, 
         FIG. 6  is a partially cut-away close-up view of the partitioned planter depicting wall retaining features of an outer container, according to the preferred embodiment 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
     
         
         
           
               10  partitioned planter 
               20  outer container 
               21  outer wall member 
               22  outer container floor 
               24  drain aperture 
               40  middle wall assembly 
               41  middle wall segment 
               42  middle wall panel 
               43  middle wall overlap feature 
               44  first stiffener 
               46  first finger feature 
               60  inner wall assembly 
               61  inner wall segment 
               62  inner wall panel 
               63  inner wall overlap feature 
               64  second stiffener 
               66  second finger feature 
               80  wall retaining feature 
               85  first aperture 
               86  second aperture 
               100  plant 
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In accordance with the invention, the best mode is presented in terms of a preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 6 . However, the disclosure is not limited to a single described embodiment and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the disclosure and that any such work around will also fall under its scope. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present disclosure, and only one particular configuration may be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 through 6 , depicting a partitioned planter (herein described as an “apparatus”)  10 , where like reference numerals represent similar or like parts. In accordance with the invention, the embodiments depicted in the present disclosure describe a planter with multiple removably attached interior walls which allow for volumetric expansion during various stages of a plant&#39;s growth without needing to transplant the plant. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show a partially cut-away perspective view and exploded view of the apparatus  10 , respectively. The apparatus  10  generally includes a decorative rectangularly-shaped open-topped outer container  20  having four (4) trapezoidal outer wall members  21  which taper slightly downward to a flat outer container floor  22 . The apparatus  10  also includes a four (4) sided middle wall assembly  40  and a four (4) sided inner wall assembly  60 . Both assemblies  40 ,  60  are arranged in a progressively concentric pattern within the outer container  20 . The outer container  20 , the middle wall assembly  40 , and the inner wall assembly  60  combine to form three (3) circumscribed interconnected enclosures to form a rigid three (3) cavity structure. 
     In use, the apparatus  10  an amount of soil and a plant  100  are placed within the inner wall assembly  60  which is removed as the plant  100  grows larger, thereby expanding a volumetric space for the plant  100  as a root system grows outwardly to fill the larger middle wall assembly  40 . As the plant continues to grow larger, the middle wall assembly  40  is removed to allow the root system and plant  100  to occupy the entire outer container  20 , thereby avoiding conventional transplanting of the plant  100  as it grows. 
     The preferred size of the apparatus  10  is envisioned to be approximately twelve (12) inches square and approximately fourteen (14) inches tall; however, it can be appreciated by one skilled in the art that actual dimensions of the apparatus  10  can vary based upon a user&#39;s preference or a specific application, and as such, should not be interpreted as a limiting factor of the apparatus  10 . 
     The outer container floor  22  includes a plurality of equally-spaced drain apertures  24  generally arranged in an “X”-shaped pattern to drain excess water and a plurality of wall retaining features  80  to position and retain bottom edges of the wall assemblies  40 ,  60  until removed. 
     The middle wall assembly  40  includes four (4) generally “L”-shaped middle wall segments  41 , each having an edge portion that overlaps an edge of an adjacent middle wall segment  41 . The middle wall segments  41  are assembled to each other to form a vertically tapering square enclosure smaller in size than the outer enclosure  20 . Each middle wall segment  41  also includes a pair of integrally-molded and parallel first stiffeners  44  disposed along a top edge. Each first stiffener  44  extends horizontally outward to mechanically engage a top edge of the adjacent outer container wall member  21 . The middle wall assembly  40  is inserted within the outer container  20  and attached to the top edge of each outer wall member  21  by engagement of the first stiffeners  44  and to the outer container floor  22  by engagement of the outer wall retaining features  80 . The placement of the middle wall assembly  40  forms a gap between the middle wall segments  41  and the outer container wall members  21 . 
     In similar fashion, the inner wall assembly  60  includes four (4) “L”-shaped and overlapping inner wall segments  61  which are assembled to form a vertically tapering square enclosure which is smaller than the middle wall assembly  40 . Each inner wall segment  61  is insertable into an inner wall retaining feature  80  and also includes a pair of second stiffeners  64  which engagement a top edge of the adjacent middle wall segment  41 . The placement of the inner wall assembly  60  forms a gap between the inner wall segments  61  and the middle wall segments  41 . Each middle wall segment  41  and inner wall segment  61  is retained in position along respective bottom edges by the plurality of inner and outer wall retaining features  80  which are affixed to the outer container floor  22 . 
     The gaps formed between the outer container  20 , the middle wall assembly  40 , and the inner wall assembly  60  provide for an expandable space for a plant  100  to grow through sequential removal of the inner wall assembly  60  and then the middle wall assembly  40  during the life cycle of the plant  100 . The soil and other potting materials are initially placed within an internal volume of the apparatus  10  in an expected manner. Progressive removal of wall segments  41 ,  61  allow for expanding plant growing capacity. Each wall segment  41 ,  61  also includes a first finger aperture  85  and a second finger aperture  86 , respectively. The finger apertures  85 ,  86  are approximately one (1) inch in diameter and are located adjacent to an upper edge of the wall segment  41 ,  61  to receive a finger of the user to assist in removal of the wall segments  41 ,  61  from the outer container  20 . 
     As the plant  100  grows and needs a larger pot, the user pulls out the respective wall segments  41 ,  61  as needed using the first and second finger apertures  85 ,  86  until only the outer container  20  remains utilized as the plant container. This method of growing plants avoiding the damage to a plant&#39;s root system common to conventional transplanting. 
     The outer container  20 , the middle wall assembly  40 , and the inner wall assembly  60  are preferably made of a durable plastic material and are produced using plastic molding or extruding processes. The outer container  20 , the middle wall assembly  40 , and the inner wall assembly  60  are also envisioned to be introduced in a variety of attractive colors and patterns based upon a user&#39;s preference or to match an existing décor. 
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the middle wall segment  41 . Each middle wall segment  41  includes a middle wall panel  42 , a middle wall overlap feature  43 , the pair of first stiffeners  44 , and the first aperture  85 . The middle wall segment  41  is a unitary “L”-shaped structure formed by the long middle wall panel  42  and the shorter integral middle wall overlap feature  43  which extends at a right angle from a vertical edge of the middle wall panel  42 . This “L”-shaped form allows the four (4) middle wall segments  41  to be arranged end-to-end to form a loosely sealed square container. 
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the inner wall segment  61 . The inner wall segments  61  form a similar structure and provide a similar function as the middle wall segments  41 . However, the inner wall segments  61  include inner wall panels  62  and inner wall overlapping features  63  having smaller horizontal lengths. Each inner wall segment  61  also includes the pair of second stiffeners  64  each having a pair of second finger features  66 , and the second aperture  86 . The inner wall assembly  60  thereby fits within the middle wall assembly  40  defining the parallel gap therebetween. 
       FIG. 5  shows a close-up view of a single first stiffener  44 . Only a single first stiffener  44  is shown for clarity to demonstrate the engaging relationship between the middle wall segment  41  and the outer wall member  21 . It can be appreciated that the second stiffeners  64  function in a substantially similar manner for the engaging relationship between the inner wall segments  61  and the middle wall segments  41 . Each wall segment  41 ,  61  includes the pair of integral first stiffeners  44  and second stiffeners  64 , respectively. The stiffeners  44 ,  64  are arranged in a horizontal and parallel manner and are preferably formed from thin flat protrusions approximately one-quarter (¼) inch in width and approximately two (2) inches in length. Each first stiffener  44  further also includes the pair of parallel and downwardly extending integral first finger features  46 , as seen in  FIG. 3 . Each second stiffener  64  further also includes the pair of parallel and downwardly extending integral second finger features  66  as seen in  FIG. 4 . The finger features  46 ,  66  disposed on an outer end of the stiffener  44 ,  64  to receivingly engage the top edge of the respective outwardly adjacent outer wall member  21  and middle wall segment  41  and confine the same. 
       FIG. 6  shows a partially cut-away close-up view of the wall retainer features  80  of the outer container  20 . Only the middle wall segments  41  are shown for clarity to demonstrate the engaging relationship between the middle wall segments  41  and the outer container floor  22 . It can be appreciated that the inner wall segments  61  engage inner wall retaining features  80  in a substantially similar manner for the engaging relationship between the inner wall segments  61  and the outer container floor  22 . The wall retaining features  80  laterally retain and position the bottom edges of the middle wall segments  41  and inner wall segments  61 . The wall retaining features  80  are arranged in parallel pairs, each forming a semi-circular and upwardly protruding shape to define a gap therebetween for snug insertion of the bottom edge of each wall segment  41 ,  61 . The plurality of wall retaining features  80  are preferably integrally molded into a top surface of the outer container floor  22  and contact inner and outer side surfaces of each wall segment  41 ,  61 , respectively. The wall retaining features  80  provide secure lateral positioning of the wall segments  41 ,  61  while allowing quick vertical removal of the wall segments  41 ,  61 , as needed. 
     In accordance with the invention, the preferred embodiment can be utilized by the user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. After initial purchase or acquisition of the apparatus  10 , it is installed and utilized as indicated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  5 , and  6 . 
     The method of installing the apparatus  10  is achieved by performing the following steps: procuring a model of the apparatus  10  having a desired overall size and desirable color scheme; assembling the four (4) middle wall segments  41  of the middle wall assembly  40  together being careful to position the middle wall overlap features  43  outwardly around each corner portion formed by the middle wall panel  42  and the middle wall overlap feature  43 ; lowering the assembled middle wall assembly  40  into the outer container  20 ; engaging lower edges of each middle wall segment  41  between the pairs of corresponding wall retaining features  80  along the outer container floor  22 ; engaging the first finger features  46  of the first stiffeners  44  of the middle wall assembly  40  with top edges of the outer wall members  21 ; assembling the inner wall segments  61  of the inner wall assembly  60  together in a similar manner as the middle wall assembly  40 ; lowering the inner wall assembly  60  into the middle wall assembly  40 ; engaging lower edges of each inner wall segment  61  between the pairs of corresponding wall retaining features  80 ; and, engaging the second finger features  66  of the second stiffeners  64  of the inner wall assembly  60  with top edges of the middle wall segments  41 . 
     The method of utilizing the apparatus  10  as a potted planter is achieved by performing the following steps: placing a plant  100  within the inner wall assembly  60 ; adding a desired volume of soil and desired potting materials into the inner wall assembly  60  and into the gaps formed between the inner wall assembly  60 , the middle wall assembly  40 , and the outer container  20 ; watering and caring for the plant  100  in a normal manner until the plant&#39;s  100  root system reaches a desire capacity within the inner wall assembly  60 ; removing the inner wall segments  61  upwardly using the second finger apertures  86 , thereby enabling additional root system growth; continuing to care for the plant  100  for a period of time; removing the middle wall segments  41  upwardly using the first finger apertures  85  to allow the root system to expand over time to fill the outer container  20 ; and, benefiting from reduced or eliminated transplanting of a plant  100  as well as improved plant root system development, afforded a user of the apparatus  10 . 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention and method of use to the precise forms disclosed. Various modifications and variations can be appreciated by one skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. The embodiments have been chosen and described in order to best explain the principles and practical application in accordance with the invention to enable those skilled in the art to best utilize the various embodiments with expected modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions or substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but is intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the invention.