Patent Publication Number: US-2002005013-A1

Title: Post planter

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS  
     [0001] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application 60/301,241, filed Jun. 26, 2001. 
    
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] The present invention relates generally to a plant receptacle, and more particularly relates to a plant receptacle to be used in combination with a post.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] Many people throughout the world are proud of their homes and spend a great deal of effort in improving the appearance of their homes. Many of these homes have decks or porches that are used for a wide range of outdoor activities such as dining, socializing, relaxing, etc. There have been a number of things done to improve the appearance of the decks and porches. For example, trellises are often placed nearby to provide some privacy and to allow vines to grow on the trellises. Plants are typically planted around decks or porches and in plant receptacles that are placed on the decks/porches and furniture to improve the appearance and to provide a soothing and aesthetic effect. Plants have even been planted in receptacles that have been developed for umbrella tables to approve the appearance of the umbrella pole going through the center of the table.  
       [0004] While much effort has gone into improving the appearance of the deck/porch surface and furniture, other sections of the deck/porch still appear drab and detract from the overall appearance of the home. One section of the deck/porch that appears drab is the support posts. Many people have attempted to improve the appearance by placing plants in plant receptacles on the ground surrounding the exposed portions of the support posts. However, these plants can easily be knocked over when someone bumps it or disturbs it.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005] In light of the above, it is a general aim of the present invention to improve the appearance of support posts.  
       [0006] In that regard, it is an object of the present invention to provide a plant receptacle for a support post that does not cause structural damage to the support post.  
       [0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a plant receptacle that is not easily knocked over.  
       [0008] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a post planter that is self-contained to prevent soil and moisture from damaging the deck.  
       [0009] A further object of the present invention is to provide a post planter that wraps around a support post.  
       [0010] Other objectives and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0011] The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:  
     [0012]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a post planter according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0013]FIG. 2 is a side view of the post planter of FIG. 1;  
     [0014]FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a post planter according to a second embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0015]FIG. 4 is a side view of the post planter of FIG. 3;  
     [0016]FIG. 5 is a top view of a circular shaped post planter in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0017]FIG. 6 a  is an isometric view along line  6 - 6  of FIG. 5 illustrating an interlock mechanism used in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0018]FIG. 6 b  is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of the interlock mechanism.  
     [0019]FIG. 7 is a top view of a square shaped post planter in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0020]FIG. 8 is a top view of a hexagonal shaped post planter in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0021]FIG. 9 is a top view of an alternate embodiment of a hexagonal shaped post planter in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0022]FIG. 10 is a top view of a circular shaped post planter in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0023]FIG. 11 a  is a top view of a post planter in accordance with the present invention for screened porches and decks;  
     [0024]FIG. 11 b  is a top view of an alternate embodiment of a post planter in accordance with the present invention for screened porches and decks;  
     [0025]FIG. 12 a  is a top view of an alternate embodiment of a circular shaped post planter having a recess for a mounting mechanism in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0026]FIG. 12 b  is a side view of a circular shaped post planter having a recess for an mounting mechanism in accordance with the present invention taken along line  12 b- 12 b of FIG. 12 a;    
     [0027]FIG. 13 a  is a top view of an alternate embodiment of a circular shaped post planter having a recess for a mounting mechanism in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0028]FIG. 13 b  is a side view of the mounting mechanism of FIG. 13 a  taken along line  13 b- 13 b;  
     [0029]FIG. 13 c  is an isometric view of the mounting mechanism of FIG. 13 a;    
     [0030]FIG. 14 a  is a top view of an embodiment of a circular shaped post planter having a recess for an alternate embodiment of a mounting mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0031]FIG. 14 b  is a side view of the mounting mechanism of FIG. 14 a  taken along line  14 b- 14 b;  
     [0032]FIG. 14 c  is an isometric view of the mounting mechanism of FIG. 14 a;    
     [0033]FIG. 15 a  is a front view of an alternative mounting mechanism in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0034]FIG. 15 b  is a cross-sectional view of the mounting mechanism of FIG. 15 a  and a post planter; and  
     [0035]FIG. 15 c  is a cross-sectional view of the mounting mechanism and post planter of FIG. 15 b  along line  15   c.   
    
    
     [0036] While the invention will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to those embodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0037] Turning to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements and for purposes of illustration, a first embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 as post planters  20 ,  22  removably attached to a support post  24  of a deck or porch (not shown). Post planter  20  is attached at any height along the support post  24 . Post planter  22  is attached to the support post  24  so that it rests on a relatively flat surface  26  such as the ground or floor (see FIG. 2).  
     [0038] Holes  30  are placed on the outer surface  28  of the post planter  20 ,  22  to allow plants to grow from the sides of the post planter  20 ,  22 . Each hole  30  has a lip  32  that prevents soil from spilling out of the post planter  20 ,  22 . The lip is integrally formed with the hole  30  in one embodiment. In an alternate embodiment, the lip is formed by a plastic or ceramic cylinder that is press-fit into the hole  30 . While the figures show the post planters having holes, it should be recognized that the post planter  20 ,  22  may be made with fewer holes, holes along a specific section of the outer surface, or with no holes.  
     [0039] Post planter  20  has a curved bottom surface  34 . In one embodiment, the curved bottom surface  34  ends in a bottom  36  that is substantially flat (see FIG. 2). In other embodiments, the bottom surface  34  is completely curved (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The post planters  20 ,  22  can be made of any length. For example, the post planter  21  illustrated in FIG. 3 is longer than post planter  20 . The post planters may have drain holes in the bottom and drain trays attached to the bottom.  
     [0040] The post planters  20 - 22  are generally comprised of two pieces and can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes. For example, FIGS.  5  to  11  show alternate embodiments of post planters. FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a circular shaped post planter  40 . The post planter  40  comprises two substantially identical sections  42 ,  44 . The walls  46 ,  48  of the sections  42 ,  44  are mounted to the support post  24  as described hereinbelow. The length of the wall  48  is sized so that the wall  50  of each of the sections  42 ,  44  contacts the wall  46  of the other of the sections  42 ,  44  when the post planter  40  is mounted to the support post  24 . The length of wall  46  is set to equal the sum of the lengths of walls  48 ,  50 . The sections  42 ,  44  are held together at the top by a clip  52 . In one embodiment, the clip  52  comprises am interlock mechanism  54  that is integrally formed with the wall  50  that fits over a slot  56  (see FIG. 6) formed in the wall  46 .  
     [0041]FIG. 6 a  illustrates the interlock mechanism  54  and slot  56 . The interlock mechanism  54  is integrally formed with the wall  50  and has outer surfaces  58 ,  60  and inner surfaces  62 ,  64 . The outer surfaces  58 ,  60  are generally orthogonal to each other. The inner surfaces  62 ,  64  are approximately orthogonal to each other. The slot  56  has surface  66  and side walls  68 . When the sections  42 ,  44  are attached to the support post  24 , the top of wall  50  of each section  42 ,  44  is held to the top of wall  46  by the interlock mechanism  54 . The interlock mechanism  54  fits into the slot  56 . When installed, the inner surface  64  sits on surface  66  and inner surface  66  generally contacts wall  46 . The outer surface  60  is generally flush with the top  70  of the wall  46 . The length of surface  66  is selected so that there is sufficient tolerance for the interlock mechanism to hold the tops of the sections  42 ,  44  together due to manufacturing tolerances of the support post and post planter. In one embodiment, the inner surface  62  has a sloped or beveled portion at the end  63  that is opposite to the end that contacts inner surface  64  (see FIG. 6 b ). The sloped or beveled portion makes it easier to slide the interlock mechanism  54  into place.  
     [0042]FIG. 7 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 7, the outer surface  28  of post planter  80  comprises walls  82 ,  84 ,  86  that are approximately orthogonal to each other. The edges  88 ,  90  where the wall  82  contacts wall  84  and wall  86  may be rounded so that the edges  88 ,  90  are not sharp. The sections  92 ,  94  of the post planter  80  are substantially identical to each other.  
     [0043] Turning now to FIG. 8, an embodiment of the present invention where the post planter  100  is hexagonal in shape is shown. The post planter comprises sections  102 ,  104  that are substantially identical to each other. The outer surface  28  comprises walls  106 - 114 . The edges  116  of the walls  106 - 114  may be rounded to avoid sharp edges.  
     [0044] It should be noted that the support post  24  may be of any shape. For example, in the preceding figures, the support post is shown as a square shaped post. For example, FIG. 9 shows a hexagonal shaped post planter  120  for a circular shaped support post  24 . The post planter  120  comprises sections  122 ,  124  that are substantially identical to each other. Each section  122 ,  124  has inner walls  126 - 128  and outer walls  130 - 138 . The edges  140  of the walls  130 - 138  may be rounded to avoid sharp edges. The inner wall  127  is arched and the inner radius  142  of the inner wall  127  is sized to be slight larger than the radius  144  of the support post  24  such that the post planter  120  fits snugly against the support post  124 .  
     [0045] While the sections of the post planter embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 and 7- 9  are substantially identical, it should be noted that the sections of the post planter may be different from each other. For example, FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of a post planter  150  that has differently shaped sections  152 ,  154 . Section  152  has inner walls  156 ,  158  and outer wall  160 . Section  154  has inner walls  162 - 168  and outer wall  170 . The inner walls  156 ,  158  of section  152  have substantially identical lengths. The inner walls  162 ,  164  of section  154  have substantially equal lengths and the lengths of inner walls  166 ,  168  are also substantially equal.  
     [0046] Screens or windows enclose some decks and porches. FIGS. 1 a  and  11   b  illustrate embodiments of post planters in accordance with the present invention for support posts having screens or windows. While FIGS. 11 a  and  11   b  illustrate the screen being located near the middle of the support post, it should be recognized that the screen may be located at any location along the support post. FIG. 11 a  illustrates a post planter for a support post  24  located at a corner of the deck/porch. In this embodiment, the post planter  180  is comprised of sections  182 ,  184 . Section  182  fits outside the deck/porch and has inner walls  186 - 192  that contact the support post  24 , side walls  194 ,  196  that are parallel to screen/glass  25 , notches  200 ,  202  and outer wall  198 . The side walls  194 ,  196  may contact the screen/glass  25  or be separated from the screen/glass  25  by a gap. The notches  200 ,  202  are sized so that the section  182  does not come into contact with the screen/glass frame  27 . Section  184  fits on the support post  24  inside the screen/glass  25  and has inner walls  204 - 206  that contact the support post  24 , side walls  208 ,  210  that are parallel to screen/glass  25 , notches  212 ,  214  and outer wall  216 . The side walls  208 ,  210  may contact the screen/glass  25  or be separated from the screen/glass  25  by a gap. The notches  212 ,  214  are sized so that the section  184  does not come into contact with the screen/glass frame  27 .  
     [0047]FIG. 11 b  illustrates a post planter for a support post  24  located between corners of the deck/porch. In this embodiment, the post planter  220  is comprised of sections  222 ,  224 . Section  222  has inner walls  226 - 230  that contact the support post  24 , side walls  232 ,  234  that are parallel to screen/glass  25 , notches  236 ,  238  and outer wall  240 . The side walls  232 ,  234  may contact the screen/glass  25  or be separated from the screen/glass  25  by a gap. The notches  236 ,  238  are sized so that the section  222  does not come into contact with the screen/glass frame  27 . Section  224  has inner walls  242 - 246  that contact the support post  24 , side walls  248 ,  250  that are parallel to screen/glass  25 , notches  252 ,  254  and outer wall  256 . The side walls  248 ,  250  may contact the screen/glass  25  or be separated from the screen/glass  25  by a gap. The notches  252 ,  254  are sized so that the section  224  does not come into contact with the screen/glass frame  27 .  
     [0048] The post planters can be attached to the support posts by a variety of methods. As previously indicated, the tops may be held together by clips, including the interlock mechanism  54 . Those skilled in the art will recognize that the tops may be held together by other means such as glue or bonding for post planters that are permanently mounted, a tongue and groove mechanism, a VELCRO hook and loop type fastener, etc.  
     [0049] In one embodiment, the post planters are mounted to the support post by nails or screws. In the post planters having holes, one or more mounting holes are placed on the inner surface. The mounting holes are aligned with holes  30  so that a screw driver can be used to mount the post planter via screws. Alternatively the post planter may be nailed into place.  
     [0050] In an alternate embodiment, the post planters are mounted using angle brackets. Turning now to FIG. 12 a , the post planter  270  is comprised of two sections  272 ,  274 . Each section  272 ,  274  has a divider  276  that allows plants within the sections  272 ,  274  to be isolated from each other. In one embodiment, the divider  276  is removable. Each section  272 ,  274  also has at least one recess  278  of sufficient length and width to allow one or more angle brackets  280  to fit within the recess  278 . The angle brackets  280  are mounted to the support post  24  (with screws/nails  282 ) and each section  272 ,  274  are fit on their respective angle brackets so that the bottom of the sections  272 ,  274  sit on the angle brackets  280 . The angle brackets  280  are sized to hold the weight of the section, dirt fill, and plant. While FIG. 12 a  shows a continuous recess along the inner walls, it should be recognized that the recess may be hidden from the top of the post planter  270  so that it is not seen (see FIG. 12 b ).  
     [0051] Another alternate embodiment of a mounting mechanism is shown in FIGS. 13 a   13   c . The mounting mechanism  290  comprises base  292  and vertical section  294 . The vertical section  294  has mounting hole  296  for mounting the mounting mechanism to the support post  24  via screws/nails  300 . The vertical section  294  may be any shape (rectangular, square, etc.). In the embodiment shown the vertical section  294  is trapezoidal in shape. While the recess wall  279  is illustrated as being substantially orthogonal to the support post surface in which the mounting mechanism is mounted, the recess wall  279  can be manufactured to be at an angle to the support post surface such that the recess wall  279  is substantially parallel to the wall  298  of the vertical section  294 . This allows the post planter  270  to be guided into place by the wall  298  and held from moving outward by the recess wall  279  contacting the wall  298  if the length of the recess  278  is sized properly. While FIG. 13 a  shows a continuous recess along the inner walls, it should be recognized that the recess may be hidden from the top of the post planter  270  so that it is not seen.  
     [0052] Turning now to FIGS. 14 a - 14   c , an alternative embodiment of a mounting mechanism is shown. The mounting mechanism  310  has a top  312 , front face  314 , rear face  315 , sides  316 , and bottom  317 . The mounting mechanism  310  has mounting hole  318  for mounting the mounting mechanism  310  to the support post  24  via screws/nails  320 . The mounting hole  318  may be countersunk so that the screw/nail  320  is flush with the front face  314 . The top  312  and bottom  317  may be any shape (rectangular, square, etc.) and is shown as being trapezoidal in shape. In one embodiment, the face  304  is angled outwardly from the rear face  315  so that it presses against the recess wall  322  and holds the post planter  270  in place (see FIGS. 14 b  and  14   c ). The sides  316  may also extend downwardly outwardly.  
     [0053] In an alternative embodiment, the edges  324  of the front face  314  extend downwardly outwardly (see FIG. 15 a ). The recess  278  is sized such that the recess wall  279  contacts the edges  324  and holds the post planter  270  in place. The recess wall  279  may be angled so that the recess walls  279  are parallel to the edges  324  (see FIGS. 15 b  and  15   c ). This allows the mounting mechanism to act as a wedge to hold the post planter  270  in place.  
     [0054] The post planter may be manufactured using a variety of materials and methods known to those persons skilled in the art. The post planter can be made of a durable plastic material using injection molding, thermoforming, etc. The post planter can also be ceramic, clay, terra cotta, metal, glass, fiberglass, Styrofoam, etc. The mounting mechanism may also be manufactured by the same material and methods.  
     [0055] The foregoing description of various embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise embodiments disclosed. Numerous modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.