Patent Publication Number: US-2013247461-A1

Title: Plant Drainage and Hydrating System

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to plant care, and in particular to a plant drainage and hydrating system comprising one or more structural layers for filtering and supporting soil at a pot bottom. 
     In a typical flower pot, one or more drainage holes are provided in the bottom, although some are not drained. When there are drainage holes, some means of preventing earth and other material in the pot from flowing through the holes is essential. 
     In a most rudimentary fashion, users often pile rocks or other similar debris in the bottom of a pot before earth is added, providing a fairly crude filter that, in most instances, while retaining most of the earth in the pot, still allows pot material to wash out of the pot on occasion. 
     Filters have been developed for pot bottoms, such as flimsy paper or cloth materials. While such materials provide a bit better means of keeping the contents within the pot, they often become clogged and ineffective as a filter, essentially preventing any drainage from the pot. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,877,970 provides a shaped porous rock or the like for locating in a pot bottom over the drainage hole. It also includes what is termed a soil amendment dispenser, which is essentially a string that wicks nutrients into the surrounding soil from the shaped porous rock. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention pertains to a plant drainage and hydrating system comprising, in one form, a first felt layer is shaped to abut a bottom surface, such as a bottom of a pot, and a second felt layer is located above the first felt layer. A spacer is provided between the felt layers, and a connection is provided for connecting the felt layers to one another. 
     In this form of the invention, the spacer comprises a collar interposed between the felt layers. The connection comprises a joining of the felt layers within the confines of the collar. Preferably, the joining comprises fusing of one felt layer to the other felt layer. 
     In another form of the invention, a single felt layer is shaped to abut a generally flat surface, such as a bottom of a pot, with the layer having a determined depth, with a structure to filter water passing therethrough and support earth above the flat surface. 
     In this form of the invention, a liner identifier is permanently secured to the felt layer. Preferably, the permanent securing is by fusing of the liner identifier to the felt layer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is described in greater detail in the following description of examples embodying the best mode of the invention, taken in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1   a  is an elevational illustration of one form of the invention, illustrating its porosity, 
         FIG. 1   b  is an illustration similar to  FIG. 1   a , without illustration of the porosity, 
         FIG. 2   a  is an elevational illustration of a second form of the invention with dual layers separated by a spacer, with the layers being lined to illustrate porosity, 
         FIG. 2   b  is a view similar to  FIG. 2   a , without illustration of the porosity, 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional illustration of a pot showing typical deployment of the first form of the invention, 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of either of the forms of the invention, and 
         FIG. 5  is an isometric view with a portion cut away to illustrate detail, of the form of the invention shown in  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b.    
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES EMBODYING THE BEST MODE OF THE INVENTION 
     A first form of the invention is shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1   a  illustrates a felt layer  10   a.  By “felt layer”, it is intended to be a felt material, a felt-like material, or a material that has the attributes of felt, namely filtering and water passage readily through the material, while still maintaining its structural integrity under the weight of overlying soil. 
     In  FIG. 1   a , the layer  10   a  is lined to illustrate the drainage and hydrating ability of the layer  10   a.  Thus, the reticulated lining  12  is provided to depict the porosity of the felt layer  10   a.    
     A similar layer  10   b  is shown in  FIG. 1   b . Simply for ease of illustration, the drainage layer  10   b  is shown without reticulated lining, although the layer  10   b  also has attributes of porosity in a similar fashion as the layer  10   a.    
     In either of the  FIG. 1  versions, the layer may be shaped for aesthetic purposes. Thus, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the layer  10   a,b  may be shaped in the form of a flower petal or the like, with each of the petals adjoining the adjacent petal at a valley  14 . Those valleys  14  are also shown in  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b.    
     For aesthetic purposes, and to give the layers  10   a  and  10   b  a more flower-like appearance, a liner identifier  16  is secured to the layers  10   a  or  10   b,  as best shown in  FIG. 4 . Preferably, the identifier  16  is permanently secured to its layer  10   a  or  10   b,  such as by a series of heat stakings  18 . The heat stakings  18  permanently fuse the liner identifier  16  to its respective layer  10   a  or  10   b.  Other means of attaching can also be used. 
     The layers  10   a  and  10   b  have a determined depth. That is, unlike paper or cloth filters, the layers  10   a  and  10   b  support the soil well above a pot bottom, allowing water to flow easily through any drainage holes. A quarter inch or more works well for the depth, although it could be less. 
       FIGS. 2 and 5  illustrate a double layer plant drainage and hydrating system. The top layer of the system can be the same as the single layers of  FIG. 1 , and therefore are identified with the same reference numerals. 
     In this form of the invention, and turning first to  FIG. 2   a , a second layer  20  is located beneath the upper felt layer  10   a.  The layer  20  can be formed of the same material as the layer  10   a,  and may be of the same petal shape as the layer  10   a,  or can simply be round or any other shape for aesthetic purposes. 
     A spacer  22  is located between the layers  10   a  and  20 . Preferably the spacer  22  is an annular ring formed of a hard material to provide support, such as plastic, and the layers  10   a  and  20  are connected to one another through the spacer  22 . Materials of sufficient strength, other than plastic, can also be used for the spacer  22 . Preferably, the layers are joined by heat staking, just like the heat staking  18  illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , so that there is a permanent connection of the felt layer  10   a  to the felt layer  20  through the interior of the spacer  22 . Other means of fastening can also be used, such as fasteners of various known types. 
       FIG. 2   b  is similar to  FIG. 2   a . The second layer  24  is separated from the layer  10   b  by means of the spacer  22 , and the second layer  24  can be of the same shape as the layer  10   b,  or it can be simply a round layer or of any aesthetic shape. In any event, just as the version of  FIG. 2   a , the layers  10   b  and  24  are permanently joined to one another through the interior of the spacer  22 , such as by means of heat staking as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , or other appropriate means. The system shown in  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  therefore comprises a unitary plant drainage and hydrating system. 
     One use of the invention is depicted in  FIG. 3 . In  FIG. 3 , the felt layer  10   a  is located at the bottom of a conventional plant pot  30 , which is shown in cross section to illustrate detail. The felt layer  10   a  is shown in its entirety. 
     The felt layer  10   a  is deployed over a drainage hole  32  in the pot  30  thus permitting water, but not debris in the pot  30 , to flow into or out of the pot  30  via the drainage hole  32 . As shown, the pot  30  is filled with appropriate plant supporting material, such as earth  34  and the like, from which a plant  36  is growing. 
     The layer  10   a  is sufficiently robust that it does not compress when the pot  30  is filled with the earth  34 . Thus, the layer  10   a  supports the earth  34  above the flat bottom surface  38  of the pot  30 , assuring that the earth  34  is well-separated from the drainage hole  32 , avoiding any clogging. 
     The felt layer  10   a  forms a structure to filter water passing therethrough, either downwardly through the drainage hole to expel excess moisture, or wicking upwardly through the drainage hole  32  into the earth  34  should moisture be needed in the pot  30 . It also stores water, releasing it when needed into adjoining soil. Because of the large expanse of the felt layer  10   a,  water can flow into, or out of, the felt layer through its entire top and sides. This assures that even if a portion of the felt layer  10   a  becomes clogged with minute particles of the earth  34 , there will be sufficient surface area to permit water to flow into and out of the felt layer  10   a,  as needed. 
     The version of the invention shown in  FIG. 2  can be used in a similar fashion, thus separating earth well above the hole  32 . In addition, the  FIG. 2  version can be used in a “double potting” environment, where a smaller pot is concentrically located within a somewhat larger pot so that water can be retained in the bottom of the larger pot, and either wick into or flow out of the smaller pot, as needed. Because the layers  10   a  and  20 , or  10   b  and  24 , are connected together, water can readily flow in any direction through the system shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 . The spacer  22  supports the inner, smaller pot above water in the larger pot, allowing drainage. 
     The invention has several advantages over the prior art. In the version shown in  FIG. 1 , the invention both filters and retains earth within a pot, unlike previous plain filters that are insufficiently robust, clog, and are easily rendered. In the version shown in  FIG. 2 , when used in a non-drained pot, earth is maintained above any standing water, which can be wicked into the earth, as needed, as the earth dries. Also, as explained above, the version of  FIG. 2  can be readily used in a double potting environment to provide wicking of moisture from the bottom pot into an upper pot, and the version of  FIG. 1  can function similarly if there is contact between the two pots. 
     Various changes can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof or scope of the following claims.