Patent Publication Number: US-2019183065-A1

Title: Self-watering planter with removable riser

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to planters, and more particularly to planters having a riser platform insertable into the planter to support a plant above a reservoir of water. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Watering plants often requires a precise volume of water to ensure that the plant is healthy. For example, providing too much water to a plan can result in oversaturated soil that can drown the plant, which can cause the plant to look wilted and discolored, and can even result in irreparable cell damage to leaves and petals. However, if the plant&#39;s soil is too dry, the plant will not have enough water to survive. Consequently, manually providing the correct amount of water to a particular plant may be a difficult and time consuming endeavor, requiring frequent small waterings. 
     In response to this watering problem, some planters may include a reservoir below the plant. This reservoir may serve to facilitate the draining of excess water from the soil such that the soil does not become over saturated. However, even in such planters, the reservoir can easily fill up, with the water level rising up into the soil above. This overflow of the reservoir results in saturating the plant soil, thus oversaturating the soil and drowning the plant. Moreover, many planters fail to provide a way for the plant to access the water in the reservoir. As a result, the water held in the reservoir goes unused. Therefore, a gardener is required to continually water the plant as water drains from the soil into the reservoir. As a result, there is a need for a self-watering planter that ensures that the plant and the soil are consistently maintained at a proper degree of soil saturation such that the soil does not become oversaturated or dry. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to embodiments of the present invention, a self-water planter is described. The plant includes a base including a raised portion to form a channel beneath the base. At least one substantially vertical planter sidewall is formed with the base. At least one drain post is integrally formed on the base and extending substantially vertically upwards with a drain opening at the top of each of the at least one drain post in communication with the channel. The planter includes a removable riser. The removable riser includes a plate supported by a plurality of hollow support columns wherein the hollow support columns are longer than the at least one drain post forming a reservoir beneath the plate. The hollow support columns each include at least one opening in a column sidewall. 
     According to other embodiments, a self-watering stackable planter is described. A stackable planter includes a base including a raised portion to form a channel beneath the base. At least one substantially vertical planter sidewall formed with the base. A plurality of drain posts are integrally formed on the base and extending substantially vertically upwards with a drain opening at the top of each of the drain posts in communication with the channel. A plurality of projections extend upwardly from the base. The stackable planter further includes a removable riser, wherein the removable riser includes a plate supported by a plurality of hollow support columns. The hollow support columns are longer than the plurality of drain posts forming a reservoir beneath the plate. Each of the hollow support columns include a locator opening for mating contact with the plurality of projections. Each of the hollow support columns include a slit-like opening in a column sidewall. 
     According to embodiments of the present invention, a method for plant watering with a self-watering planter is described. The method includes providing a planter with a base including a raised portion to form a channel beneath the base. At least one substantially vertical planter sidewall is formed with the base. At least one drain post is integrally formed on the base and extending substantially vertically upwards with a drain opening at the top of each of the at least one drain post in communication with the channel. The planter includes a removable riser. The removable riser includes a plate supported by a plurality of hollow support columns wherein the hollow support columns are longer than the at least one drain post forming a reservoir beneath the plate. The hollow support columns each include at least one opening in a column sidewall. The method further includes supporting a plant and a soil mixture on a top portion of the removable riser and in the hollow support columns. The method further includes storing water in the reservoir such that the soil mixture in the plurality of hollow support columns absorbs the water and transports it by capillary action to the plant. 
     These and other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will provide details in the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the following figures wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a planter in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIG. 2A  is a partial top view of the planter of  FIG. 1  showing a planter with drain posts therein in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view of the planter of  FIG. 1  showing a planter with drain posts therein in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIG. 2C  is a cross-sectional view of the planter of  FIG. 1  showing a planter with drain posts therein in accordance with another embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is top isometric view of a removable riser that supports a plant in accordance with another embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom isometric view of a removable riser that supports a plant in accordance with another embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom view of a removable riser that supports a plant in accordance with another embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial cross-sectional schematic of a planter and a removable riser in accordance with another embodiment; 
         FIG. 7A  is a partial top view a planter having a removable riser that supports a plant above a reservoir in accordance with another embodiment; 
         FIG. 7B  is a magnified view illustrating a connection between the removable riser and the planter in accordance with illustrative embodiments; 
         FIG. 8A  is a cross-sectional view of a planter with a removable riser in operation in accordance with illustrative embodiments; and 
         FIG. 8B  is a cross-sectional view of a planter with a removable riser in operation in accordance with another illustrative embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Disclosed herein are embodiments and aspect of an inventive self-watering planter having a removable riser insert. To ensure the proper amount of water is supplied to a potted plant, the removable riser insert may rest at the bottom of planter on support columns. The support columns of the riser ensure that the riser is a particular distance above the base of the planter, thus creating a reservoir below the riser for holding water. A plant with the appropriate soil mixture may then rest on the riser above the reservoir. 
     The support columns may be hollow with the soil mixture extending down into the columns. These support columns may then provide for contact between the water in the reservoir and the soil in the column, thus enabling water to be soaked up into the soil and into the plant roots through capillary action. Because the water is introduced to the root through capillary action of the soil, the amount of water consumed by the roots dictates the amount of water soaked up by the soil, thus ensuring that the roots only have as much water as the plant needs to be healthy. As a result, the planter is self-watering due to the capillary action of the soil providing water from the reservoir to the roots of the plant. 
     To prevent overwatering by overfilling the reservoir, thus saturating the soil mixture of the plant, drain posts may be located on the base of the planter. The drain posts may of such a height as to drain water through a drainage opening located at a height below the removable riser. Such a drain post ensures that if an excessive amount of water is introduced into the planter, the excess is removed before the water can saturate the soil and overwater the plant, which would otherwise cause discoloration, wilting, and even damage at the cellular level. 
     The planters in accordance with the present principles may be fabricated by molding processes using plastics; however, other materials are contemplated as well. For example, the planters may include metal construction, concrete, wood, etc. In one embodiment, the planters are a monolithic construction (e.g., one piece). 
     It is to be understood that the present invention will be described in terms of a given illustrative architectures; however, other architectures, structures, materials and process features and steps may be varied within the scope of the present invention. 
     It will also be understood that when an element such as a layer, region or substrate is referred to as being “on” or “over” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” or “directly over” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. 
     Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present principles, as well as other variations thereof, means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, and so forth described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present principles. Thus, the appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment”, as well any other variations, appearing in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. 
     It is to be appreciated that the use of any of the following “/”, “and/or”, and “at least one of”, for example, in the cases of “A/B”, “A and/or B” and “at least one of A and B”, is intended to encompass the selection of the first listed option (A) only, or the selection of the second listed option (B) only, or the selection of both options (A and B). As a further example, in the cases of “A, B, and/or C” and “at least one of A, B, and C”, such phrasing is intended to encompass the selection of the first listed option (A) only, or the selection of the second listed option (B) only, or the selection of the third listed option (C) only, or the selection of the first and the second listed options (A and B) only, or the selection of the first and third listed options (A and C) only, or the selection of the second and third listed options (B and C) only, or the selection of all three options (A and B and C). This may be extended, as readily apparent by one of ordinary skill in this and related arts, for as many items listed. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes” and/or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof. 
     Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element&#39;s or feature&#39;s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the FIGs. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the FIGs. For example, if the device in the FIGs. is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may be interpreted accordingly. In addition, it will also be understood that when a layer is referred to as being “between” two layers, it can be the only layer between the two layers, or one or more intervening layers may also be present. 
     It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. Thus, a first element discussed below could be termed a second element without departing from the scope of the present concept. 
     Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals represent the same or similar elements and initially to  FIG. 1 , a side view of planter  100  is shown in accordance with the present principles. 
     According to aspects of the present embodiment, planter  100  may have a base  106  with a sidewall  104  upwardly extending therefrom. The base  106  may be, e.g., circular, but may also be square, rectangular, elliptical or any other suitable shape. The sidewall  102  may contact edges of the base  106 , preferably all around the perimeter of the base  106 . In this way, the sidewall  102  may provide a sealed connection to the base  106  such that water and soil may be retained therein. 
     The sidewall  102  may take any suitable shape for retaining a plant and soil. According to the present embodiments, the sidewall  102  may take a shape that facilitates stacking of multiple planters  100 . For example, the sidewall  102  may be circular in cross section and extending vertically from the base  106  to a top circular rim  104 , with the radius of the circular cross section increasing in size towards the circular rim  104 . Alternatively, the sidewall  102  may be vertical with a circular cross-section, thus forming a cylinder extending upwards from a circular base  106 , or it may include multiple flat sidewalls, thus forming a box shape, or the shape of the cross section may change with height. Other base  106  and sidewall  102  configurations are contemplated. 
     Additionally, the base  106  may include an indented portion  108 . The indented portion  108  may consequently form a channel  109  beneath the base  106  for the free flow of water underneath the planter. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2A-C , views of the planter  100  according to another embodiment of the present invention is illustratively depicted. 
     According to aspects of the present invention, the base  106  may include drain posts  110 . There may be, e.g., two drain posts  110 , or there may be any suitable number of drain posts  110 . The drain posts  110  may be formed on the base  106  and have sidewalls  112  that extend substantially vertically upwards (e.g., between 60 and 90 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane). The drain posts  110  extend to a desired height to ensure that a desired volume of water is retained below the tops  114  of the drain posts  110 . The volume may be chosen according to a variety of factors including how often the reservoir will be refilled. The drain posts  110  may take any suitable cross sectional shape, such as, e.g., circular. The drain posts  110  may taper towards the top to facilitate stacking, or the drain posts  110  may maintain a constant cross sectional area throughout the height of the drain posts  110 . Moreover, according to aspects of the present embodiment, the drain posts  110  may be integrally formed with the base  106 . However, the drain posts  110  may include a seal connection configuration to the base  106  through any suitable means, e.g. pressure seal, polymeric seal, fastened by threads and sealed with a sealant, etc. 
     According to aspects of the present embodiment, a top  114  of the drain posts  110  may include a flat surface having a drain hole  120  in the center thereof, as depicted in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . The drain hole  120  may be sized to ensure that any excess water will drain out of planter before the water causes any damage to the plant. Alternatively, as depicted in  FIG. 2C , the top  114  may taper directly to an aperture, or may include perforations, a mesh, one or more slits, or any other suitable opening through which water may pass. One possible embodiment may include drain posts  110   a  having a flat top  114   a , and rather than a drain hole  120 , a solid top surface  114   a  with drain openings  120   a  in the sidewall  112   a  below the solid top surface  114   a.    
     The drain posts  110  may lead to the indented portion  108  in the base  106  of the planter. The indented portion  108  may be a portion of the base  106  that is raised above a surface on which the planter rests. The indented portion  108  may of such a shape as to allow water to drain from the drain posts  110  and escape from beneath the planter through channel  109  to facilitate the outflow of excess water being drained from the planter. In this way, the planter  100  according to aspects of the present embodiment, avoids an excess of water that may be damaging to a plant. 
     Additionally, the base  106  may include one or more locating projections  130  (for example, four). The locating projections  130  may be, e.g., cross-shaped projections; however other shapes are contemplated (for example, cylinders, pyramids, cones, tetrahedons, etc.). The locating projections  130  according to the present embodiment extend vertically with a top portion that tapers to a point. The taper of the locating projections  130  facilitate the insertion of the locating projections  130  into a mating locating hole, thus ensuring the proper locating and fitting of a part inserted into the planter, such as a removable riser as discussed below. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3-5 , various views of a removable riser  200  according to another embodiment of the present invention are illustratively depicted. 
     A removable riser  200  may be inserted into a planter such as planter  100 . The removable riser  200  may include a plate  220  and support columns  210 . The plate  220  includes a top surface  222  and a bottom surface  228 , with the support columns  210  extending from the bottom surface  228 . The plate  220 , therefore, acts as a platform held at a given height by the support columns  210 , which may be integrally formed thereon, but may also be attached by any suitable means. The plate may be, e.g., disc shaped. However, the plate  220  may take on other shapes, such as square, oval, triangular, or any other suitable shape to conform to the interior of a planter. The support columns  210  may include holes  216  at the ends thereof. According to aspects of embodiments of the present invention, these holes  216  may be used for water draining purposes, or in some embodiments, for interfacing with locating projections, such as those described in the planter  100  described above. 
     According to aspects of the embodiment, the support columns  210  are hollow, resulting in a cavity  230  on the interior of the support columns  210  accessible from the top surface  222  of the plate  220 . Once inserted into a planter, the plate  220  is configured to support a plant and soil mixture over a reservoir. The plant will rest on a top surface  222  of the plate  220  and the soil mixture may occupy the cavities  230  of the support columns  210 . By filling the cavities  230  with soil, the soil may act like a wick that can absorb moisture from the reservoir and transport the moisture via capillary action up into the bulk of the soil mixture and into contact with roots of the plant. Such a configuration results in a self-watering system whereby the soil and the plant extract water from the reservoir in the appropriate quantities for plant growth. Thus, the system ensures enough water is provided to the plant without overwatering the plant. 
     To further facilitate the operation of the planter according to aspects of the present embodiment, the plate  220  and the support columns  210  may each have openings,  226  and  218  respectively, through which water may pass. The column openings  218  enable water to enter the cavities  230  of the support columns  210  through a sidewall  212  of the support columns  210  from the reservoir. These column openings  218  thus bring the soil into contact with the water of the reservoir, enabling the wicking function of the soil. The column openings  218  may be of a shape such as, e.g., slits from the base to the column end  214 , according to one aspect of the present embodiment. 
     However, other configurations are possible, such as a single hole or a series of holes aligned vertically with either constant size or size varying with height, perforations, a mesh or screen, slits aligned horizontally, or any suitable opening for allowing water to enter the cavity  230 . The column openings  218  may all be facing in a common direction, such as the direction depicted in  FIG. 4 . However, the column openings  218  may each face towards a center of the riser  200 , or away from the center of the riser  200 . Or the column openings  218  may each face tangential to a radius from the center of the riser  200  in a common direction (i.e. counterclockwise or clockwise). 
     The plate openings  226  may extend through the plate  220  from the front surface  222  through the back surface  228 . The plate openings  226  may, therefore, allow for water to pass therethrough. Such a configuration may enable water poured into the soil of the plant to drain through the bottom of the soil mixture, through the plate  220 , and into the reservoir. As a result, the removable riser  200  ensures that excess water in the soil can drain from the soil into the reservoir, thus preventing overwatering. As discussed above, a moisture level in the soil may then be maintained through the capillary action of the soil in the cavities  230  of the support columns  210  absorbing the water in the reservoir. Thus, a self-watering and self-regulating system is established in the planter due to the presence of a removable riser  200  such as the one described in the present embodiment. 
     Additionally, the plate openings  226  may be configured to allow roots of a plate to pass therethrough. For example, the plate openings  226  may be slits extending radially outward, as depicted in  FIG. 5 . However, other configurations are contemplated. The plate openings  226 , for example, may also be circular and randomly distributed, or distributed in a ring-like pattern, or in a rectangular, grid-like pattern, with either constant size or varying with distance from a center of the plate  220 . The plate openings  226  may be linear slits, or they may be curved or zig-zagged. The plate openings  226  may also include a relatively large center hole to allow for a large taproot to pass through to the water below. Additionally, the plate openings  226  may be configured to not allow roots to pass through. The plate openings  226  may, therefore, take any of the forms described above, but with openings that are too small for a root to fit through, or the plate openings  226  may include a mesh screen or fabric supported by the support columns  210  and ribs  240 . Combinations of the above plate opening  226  configurations are also contemplated. 
     The removable riser  200  may also include additional structural support to better support the weight of a plant and soil, particularly in scenarios involving large plants. According to aspects of embodiments of the present invention, the support may take the form of the ribs  240 . The ribs  240  are depicted as being on the bottom surface  228  of the plate  220 , however they may alternatively be on the top surface  222  or on both the top surface  222  and bottom surface  228 . In one possible embodiment, the ribs  240  may include a series of radial ribs as well as a plurality of linear ribs. These ribs  240  may bolster the rigidity of the plate  220  and prevent bending or cracking under the weight of large plants and soil volumes. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a partial cross section view of a planter  100  with removable riser  200  in accordance with another embodiment of present invention is illustratively depicted. 
     According to aspects of embodiments of the present invention, the removable riser  200  may be inserted into the bottom of a planter  100  such that the support columns  210  support the plate  222  at a desired height above the base  106  of the planter  100 . The height of the plate  222  may be such that the plate is some difference in height above the top surface  114  of the drain posts  110  (for example, about 3 mm). The difference in height enables space to accommodate excess water that can drain from the drain hole  120  in the top of the drain posts  114  without passing through the plate openings  226  into the soil. As a result, the reservoir can accommodate a desired water level that will drain before it rises to a level of the soil. Accordingly, excess water in the soil is prevented, thus avoiding damage to the plant. 
     According to aspects of the invention, the plate  220  may further include a rim  224 . The rim  224  may be configured to uniformly contact the interior surface of the sidewall  102  of the planter  100 . The rim  224  is thus operable to prevent soil from falling into the reservoir through gaps between the plate  220  and the sidewall  102  of the planter  100 . Accordingly, the plate  220  may better support the plant and the soil mixture, ensuring a proper seating of the plant with a lower risk of soil erosion into the reservoir. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 7A and 7B , partial top views of the removable riser  200  inserted into the planter  100  according to another embodiment are illustratively depicted. 
     According to aspects of an embodiment of the invention, the planter  100  may have locating projections  130  formed on the base  106 , and the removable riser  200  may have end holes  216  formed on the ends of the support columns  210 . When the removable riser  200  is inserted into the planter  100 , the locating projections  130  may be aligned and brought into mating contact with the end holes  216 . By aligning the locating projections  130  with the end holes  216 , the removable riser  200  may be secured in an optimal seating arrangement within the planter  100 . 
     According to aspects of an embodiment of the invention, an optimal seating arrangement for the removable riser  200  may include a rotational orientation based on the shape of the walls. For example, if the sidewalls  102  of the planter are uneven or non-uniform in shape, the locating projections  130  and corresponding end holes  216  may ensure a proper and effective rotational orientation. Such a desired orientation may include, for example, an orientation where the drain holes  120  align with plate openings  226 . Such an arrangement may provide improved drainage by reducing the risk of blocking the drain holes  120 , whether by deformation of the plate or soil and other objects being caught between the tops of the drain posts  110  and the plate  220 . 
     Moreover, by inserting the locating projections  130  into the end holes  216 , the orientation of the removable riser  200  is fixed, preventing any inadvertent movement of the removable riser  200  that may cause unwanted shifting or erosion of the soil. According to aspects of an embodiment, the locating projections  130  and end holes  216  may be switched, such that the locating projections  130  are at the ends of the support columns  210 , while the end holes  216  include indented portion  108  in the base  106  of the planter  100  corresponding to the shape of the locating projections  130 . Additionally, the locating projections  130  may be smaller than the end holes  216 , allowing for a small amount of relative movement. However, in other embodiments, the locating projections  130  may be substantially equal in size to the end holes  216 , or sized so as to provide a snap fit or friction fit with the end holes  216  to secure the removable insert to the bottom of the planter  100 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 8A and 8B , cross-sectional views of the removable riser  200  inserted into the planter  100  according to another embodiment are illustratively depicted. 
     In operation, a self-watering planter including a planter  100  and a removable riser  200 , may contain soil  310  and water in a reservoir  300 . The water in the reservoir  300  may rise to a level  301  below the tops  114  of the drain posts  110  as depicted in  FIG. 8A . In this situation, the soil  310  may extend into cavities within support columns  210  of the removable riser  200 , down into the reservoir  300  containing the water. Because the drain posts  110  are shorter than the support columns  210 , the riser  200  is situated above the water level  301 . As a result, only the soil  310  in the support columns  210  is in contact with the water, and therefore, water absorption in the soil  310  is controlled by the soil  310  itself. 
     As a result of this configuration, even when the water reaches an overfill level  302  (as depicted in  FIG. 8B ), the removable riser  200  is still situated about the overfill level  302 . Once the water rises to an overfill level  302  above the tops  114  of the drain posts  110 , water drains from the reservoir  300  through drain posts  110  by drain flow  304 . As a result, even in an overfilled state, the overfill level  302  is still below the removable riser  200 . Thus, controlled self-watering from the absorption of water by the soil  310  in the support columns  210  is maintained. 
     Due to the indented portion  108  of the base  106  forming the channel  109 , water from the drain flow  304  may flow underneath the planter  100  along flow path  306  to an exterior of the planter  100 . Accordingly, planter  100  may continually drain water as long as the water is at an overfill level  302 . 
     Having described preferred embodiments for planters with elevated internal portion and water preservation features (which are intended to be illustrative and not limiting), it is noted that modifications and variations can be made by persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiments disclosed which are within the scope of the invention as outlined by the appended claims. Having thus described aspects of the invention, with the details and particularity required by the patent laws, what is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth.