Patent Publication Number: US-2009223124-A1

Title: Long Range Self Watering System

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/068,787 filed Mar. 10, 2008 by Antonio A. Pasquariello. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to systems for supporting the health and growth of potted plants. More particularly, the invention pertains to a system for controllably dampening the growth medium of a potted plant. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     It is recognized that the optimum environment for the health and growth of plants and vegetables includes oxygen from the atmosphere as well as complete (one hundred percent) humidity. Such a degree of humidity refers to maximum absorption of liquid by the surrounding growth medium. Common growth media for potted plants includes peat moss, clay, and such pumice like compositions as those marketed under the trademarks VERMICULITE® and PEARLITE®. 
     Pots for holding plants commonly include bottom apertures for drainage. The pots are generally paired with underlying flat plate-like elements for preventing spillage of water onto floors, tables, and other surfaces requiring protection. 
     Such plate-like elements necessarily include a recessed depth for holding water that has drained from the overlying pot. As most house plants are commonly tended by those who are either only casually aware or completely unaware of the conditions for optimum plant health, overwatering is a common occurrence. Such overwatering occurs when the plant and its surrounding growth medium are exposed to excessive watering beyond that required to achieve the condition of one hundred percent humidity. In such case, excess water fills and/or flows through the small voids that exist between individual elements of the growth medium. In either case, the circulation of air, including necessary oxygen, is inhibited, and in some cases eliminated. Such a condition (absence of oxygen combined with the organic matter of the growth medium) will lead to rotting of the plant, especially the roots. Even in the event that the apertures at the bottom of the pot permit some outflow of excess water, such outflow will only persist until such time as the level of excess water in the plate-like catch basin surrounding the bottom of the pot equals that within the bottom portion of the pot. This effectively “seals” the growth medium from air circulation, severely limiting access to oxygen. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art by providing an apparatus for controllably dampening a growth medium for supporting a plant. Such growth medium is contained within a pot comprising an encircling pot wall and a pot bottom having at least one aperture. 
     The apparatus includes a substantially-hollow housing comprising an encircling wall and a closed bottom. The wall of the housing is arranged to surround the lower portion of the pot. 
     An elongated wick member has opposed ends for embedding within the growth medium and the reservoir for transporting water from the reservoir into the medium. 
     The preceding and other features of the invention will become further apparent from the detailed description that follows. Such description is accompanied by a set of drawing figures. Numerals of the drawing figures, corresponding to those of the written specification, point to the features of the invention. Like numerals refer to like features throughout both the written description and the drawing figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the housing of a watering system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIGS. 2(   a ) through  2 ( d ) are a series of Figures for illustrating a wick, an inserter, and their cooperative use in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a side sectional assembled in use view of a watering system in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a flanged insert assembly with a plurality of flexible tines that are inwardly angled; 
         FIG. 5  is a side sectional assembled view of a watering system in accordance with the alternative embodiment of the invention including the flanged insert with the plurality of flexible tines that are inwardly angled; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of the housing of the watering system in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention including the flanged insert with the plurality of flexible tines that are inwardly angled; and 
         FIG. 7  is a side sectional assembled in use view of the alternative embodiment of the watering system in accordance with the invention including the flanged insert with the plurality of flexible tines that are inwardly angled. 
     
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMBERS IN THE FIGURES 
     
         
         
           
               10  Housing 
               12  Potted plant 
               14  Growth medium 
               16  Plant 
               18  Pot 
               19  Aperture 
               20  Shell 
               22  Holder plate 
               23  Encircling wall that is a downwardly tapering wall 
               24  Closed bottom 
               26  Band of reduced diameter 
               28  First aperture 
               30  Downwardly tapered inner wall 
               32  Second aperture 
               34  Water meter 
               36  Elongated floatation element 
               38  Transparent region 
               40  Gradations 
               42  Aperture 
               44  Wick 
               46  Inserter 
               48  Hook 
               50  Water 
               54  Alternate embodiment of the watering system 
               55  Flanged insert assembly 
               60  Plurality of flexible tines 
               61  Longitudinal axis of each tine  60   
               65  Outer periphery of the flanged insert assembly  55   
               70  Inner periphery of the flanged insert assembly  55   
               75  Angle of the longitudinal axis  61   
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the housing  10  of the watering system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The housing  10  is provided for supporting a potted plant  12  in suspension above a reservoir formed at the closed bottom  24  of the housing  10 . It will be shown below that the water  50  is transported by the watering system into a growth medium  14  that supports a plant  16  within a pot  18 . 
     The pot  18  is typically of plastic, clay, or other ceramic material, either glazed or unglazed. At least one aperture  19  is commonly provided for drainage at the bottom of the pot  18 . As mentioned above, the pot  18  is normally seated on a plate-like element that permits the accumulation of water in a catch basin surrounding the bottom of the pot  18 . Such a basin inhibits the circulation of air and oxygen required for plant health. In contrast, it will be seen that the invention provides a means for suspending the pot  18  to prevent the accumulation of water blockage to the circulation of air while assuring one hundred percent humidity of the growth medium for optimum plant health. 
     The housing  10  comprises a shell  20  and holder plate  22 . The shell  20 , preferably integrally formed of molded plastic, has an open top, an encircling, downwardly-tapered wall  23  and a closed bottom  24 . A band  26  of reduced diameter within the wall  23  is provided for facilitating the transport of multiple shells  20 . That is, the reduced diameter of the band  26  allows the telescoping of multiple shells for compact transport without the locking that would otherwise occur if adjacent shells were permitted to bottom out against one another in a “nesting” type of situation. 
     The holder plate  22  includes a first aperture  28  for receiving the pot  18 . As the pot  18  is typically downwardly-tapered, the inner wall  30  of the aperture  28  is correspondingly tapered. This permits the use of the housing  10  with a variety of pot sizes, provided that the bottom of the pot  18  is suspended above the closed bottom  24  of the housing. 
     A second aperture  32  in the holder plate  22  is provided for receiving a water meter  34  of the flotation type. Such meter  34  comprises an elongated flotation element  36  within a meter housing that includes a transparent region  38  having gradations  40  for measuring the position of the top of the elongated flotation element  36 . At least one aperture  42  is provided adjacent the bottom of the meter housing. The aperture(s)  42  admit water from the reservoir formed during use at the bottom of the housing  10 , causing the position of the elongated flotation element  36  to adjust in a vertical direction within the meter housing  38 . The position of the flotation element is visually measurable by means of the markings  40  on the transparent portion  38  of the meter housing. 
       FIGS. 2(   a ) through  2 ( d ) are a series of figures for illustrating a wick  44 , an inserter  46  and their cooperative use in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As explained above, optimum plant health is characterized by the maintenance of one hundred percent humidity of the growth medium  14  in which the plant  16  is established. This is not to be confused with the drenching or overwatering that is characterized by the presence of excessive water that fills the voids that exist between particles of the growth medium  14 . The filling of such voids, which occurs most commonly was a consequence of the presence of “free” water at the bottom of the pot  18  in equilibrium with the level of water in the catch basin formed by the flat plate-like element in which the pot  18  is seated, prevents the circulation of air that is necessary for plant health. 
     Turning to  FIG. 2(   a ) the wick  44  comprises a wettable cotton element surrounded by a fabric jacket, preferably of NYLON. The opposed ends of the jacket of the wick  44  are melted to prevent shredding. The inserter  46  is a rigid, elongated tool having a hook  48  at one end for grasping an end of the wick  44  and inserting the combined wick  44 -and-inserter  46  through an aperture  19  at the bottom of the pot  18  and into the growth medium  14  therein as illustrated in  FIG. 2(   c ). In  FIG. 2(   d ), the inserter has unhooked from the wick  44  after insertion into the growth medium  14  and been withdrawn, leaving one end of the wick  44  extending into the growth medium  14  and extending through the aperture  19  and out of the bottom of the pot  18 . 
     The wick  44  provides a means for controllably transferring water from the reservoir at the bottom of the housing  10  to thereby moisten the growth medium  14  that surrounds the plant  16  within the pot  18 .  FIG. 3  is a side sectional assembled view of a watering system in accordance with the invention. The system is employed by first introducing a quantity of water  50  into the bottom of the shell  20 , creating a reservoir. The wick  44  is inserted into the growth medium  14  within the pot  18  as illustrated in  FIGS. 2(   c ) and  2 ( d ) above. 
     The water meter  34  is inserted into the aperture  32  and thereby fixed to the holder plate  22  in such a way as to extend substantially the entire distance between the holder plate  22  and the closed bottom  24  of the shell  20 . This enables the entry of water from the reservoir at the bottom of the shell  20  to enter the bottom of the meter housing to thereby actuate the elongated flotation element  36  to responsively indicate the depth of water in the reservoir visibly at the transparent portion  38  of the meter housing. 
     Water  50  is transported by capillary action from the underlying reservoir and into the growth medium  14  through the wick  44 . Such flow of water  50  continues until the capillary flow is terminated by the equalization of capillary forces due to vapor pressures at the opposed ends of the wick  44 . This occurs when a one hundred percent humidity condition is reached within the growth medium  14 . Such condition assures correct moisture content while retaining the void spaces between particles of the growth medium  14  to permit the circulation of oxygen. 
     The water meter  34  provides a visible indication of the depth of the reservoir that exists beneath, and separate from, the potted plant  12 . This allows one to replenish the reservoir regularly and at the proper time to assure that the condition of one hundred percent humidity is maintained in the growth medium and avoids the common overwatering phenomenon that is often undertaken “to be safe”. 
     In looking at the alternative embodiments for the watering system apparatus as best shown in  FIGS. 4 through 7 , for controllably dampening a growth medium  14  for supporting a plant  16 , the medium  14  being contained within the pot  18  comprising an encircling pot wall and a pot bottom having at least one aperture  19 . The alternative embodiments of the watering system apparatus including, in combination: a substantially-hollow housing including a shell  20  comprising an encircling wall  23  and a closed bottom  24  and defining a reservoir region at the bottom of the shell  20 . Further included in the alternative embodiments for the watering system apparatus  54  are a flanged insert assembly  55  adjacent to the encircling wall  23 , the flanged insert assembly  55  having an outer periphery  65  and an inner periphery  70 . The flanged insert assembly  55  also having a plurality of flexible tines  60  extending therefrom adjacent to the inner periphery  70  for suspending the pot  18  with respect to the closed bottom  24  of the shell  20 . 
     Further included in the alternative embodiment for the watering system apparatus  54  is the elongated wick  44  member having opposed ends for transporting water  50  from the reservoir region into the medium  14  as best shown in  FIG. 7 . Optionally, for the alternative embodiment for the watering system apparatus  54  the plurality of flexible tines  60  each have a longitudinal axis  61  that is angled  75  toward one another, such that the plurality of flexible tines  60  form a frustroconical shape that is operational to suspend a multitude of different pot sizes, see  FIGS. 4 through 7 . 
     Further, in looking at the other alternative embodiments for the watering system apparatus  54  as best shown in  FIGS. 4 through 7 , for controllably dampening a growth medium  14  for supporting a plant  16 , the medium  14  being contained within the pot  18  comprising an encircling pot wall and a pot bottom having at least one aperture  19 . The alternative embodiments of the watering system apparatus  54  include, in combination: a substantially-hollow housing including a shell  20  comprising an encircling wall  23  and a closed bottom  24  and defining a reservoir region at the bottom of the shell  20 . Further included in the alternative embodiments for the watering system apparatus  54  are a flanged insert assembly  55  adjacent to the encircling wall  23 , the flanged insert assembly  55  having an outer periphery  65  and an inner periphery  70 . The flanged insert assembly  55  also having a surrounding sidewall extending therefrom adjacent to the inner periphery  70  for suspending the pot  18  with respect to the closed bottom  24  of the shell  20 . Wherein the surrounding sidewall follows essentially the same cross-sectional profile of the previously discussed tines  60 , however, being a continuous sidewall as best shown in  FIG. 7 , as opposed to the tines  60  having gaps between them. 
     Further included in the other alternative embodiment for the watering system apparatus  54  is the elongated wick  44  member having opposed ends for transporting water  50  from the reservoir region into the medium  14  as best shown in  FIG. 7 . Optionally, for the other alternative embodiment of the watering system apparatus  54  the surrounding sidewall can form a frustroconical shape that reduces in periphery as the surrounding sidewall extends adjacent from the inner periphery  70  that is operational to suspend a multitude of different pot  18  sizes, again as best shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     The preferred materials of construction for the housing  10  including the alternative embodiment  54  would be typical for the plant container industry normally being a waterproof plastic or other suitable alternatives. However, specifically relating to the plurality of flexible tines  60  and the surrounding sidewall, the preferred materials of construction would be a flexible waterproof plastic or other suitable alternatives. 
     While this invention has been described with reference to a presently preferred embodiment, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the invention is limited only insofar as it is defined by the following set of patent claims and includes within its scope all equivalents thereof.