PLANT CONTAINER FOR VERTICAL GARDEN

Abstract

A plant container for a vertical garden includes: a container body including at least one wall and a floor; and an irrigation dispenser suspended from an upper edge of the at least one wall. The irrigation dispenser and the at least one wall define an enclosure sized to accommodate a volume of irrigation fluid, the irrigation dispenser having a bottommost surface spaced above the floor of the container body.

Claims

1. A plant container for a vertical garden, the plant container comprising: a container body comprising at least one wall and a floor; and an irrigation dispenser suspended from an upper edge of the at least one wall, the irrigation dispenser and the at least one wall defining an enclosure sized to accommodate a volume of irrigation fluid, the irrigation dispenser having a bottommost surface spaced above the floor of the container body.

2. The plant container of claim 1, wherein the bottommost surface of the irrigation dispenser defines a perimeter of a discharge opening of the irrigation dispenser.

3. The plant container of claim 1, wherein the irrigation dispenser comprises a hooked tab configured to engage the at least one wall.

4. The plant container of claim 3, wherein the hooked tab defines a channel along its length, the channel being sized to matingly receive the upper edge of the at least one wall.

5. The plant container of claim 1, wherein the irrigation dispenser comprises: a front wall; a central, elongate rib projecting forwardly from the front wall; and a first tapered side wall and a second tapered side wall each projecting rearwardly from a respective edge of the front wall, the front wall, the central, elongate rib and the first and second tapered side walls defining a portion of an enclosure configured to accommodate irrigation fluid.

6. The plant container of claim 1, wherein the irrigation dispenser comprises a connecting feature at an upper end thereof, the connecting feature being in fluid communication with the enclosure.

7. The plant container of claim 6, wherein the connecting feature is configured to connect to a conduit for delivery of irrigation fluid to the irrigation dispenser.

8. The plant container of claim 6, wherein the connecting feature is a nipple having a fluid passage formed therein.

9. The plant container of claim 6, wherein the connecting feature is a receptacle sized to matingly receive an end of a conduit for delivery of irrigation fluid to the irrigation dispenser.

10. An irrigation dispenser for a plant container for a vertical garden, the irrigation dispenser comprising: a front wall; a central, elongate rib projecting forwardly from the front wall; and a first tapered side wall and a second tapered side wall each projecting rearwardly from a respective edge of the front wall, the front wall, the central, elongate rib and the first and second tapered side walls defining a portion of an enclosure configured to accommodate irrigation fluid.

11. The irrigation dispenser of claim 10, wherein irrigation dispenser has a bottommost surface defining a perimeter of a discharge opening.

12. The irrigation dispenser of claim 10, further comprising a hooked tab defining a channel along its length.

13. The irrigation dispenser of claim 12, wherein the channel is sized to matingly receive an upper edge of a wall of the plant container.

14. The irrigation dispenser of claim 10, further comprising a connecting feature at an upper end of the irrigation dispenser, the connecting feature being in fluid communication with the portion of the enclosure.

15. The irrigation dispenser of claim 14, wherein the connecting feature is configured to connect to a conduit for delivery of irrigation fluid to the irrigation dispenser.

16. The irrigation dispenser of claim 14, wherein the connecting feature is a nipple having a fluid passage formed therein.

17. The irrigation dispenser of claim 14, wherein the connecting feature is a receptacle sized to matingly receive an end of a conduit for delivery of irrigation fluid to the irrigation dispenser.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plant container for a vertical garden, containing a plant growing therein, in use;

[0019] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the plant container and the plant of FIG. 1, in use, taken along the indicated section line;

[0020] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the plant container of FIG. 1;

[0021] FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the plant container of FIG. 1;

[0022] FIG. 5 is a side view of the plant container of FIG. 3;

[0023] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the plant container of FIG. 4, taken along the indicated section line;

[0024] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an irrigation dispenser forming part of the plant container of FIG. 3;

[0025] FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the irrigation dispenser of FIG. 7;

[0026] FIG. 9 is a front view of the irrigation dispenser of FIG. 7;

[0027] FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the irrigation dispenser of FIG. 7, taken along the indicated section line;

[0028] FIG. 11 is a top view of the irrigation dispenser of FIG. 7; and

[0029] FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the irrigation dispenser of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0030] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of certain examples will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. As used herein, an element or feature introduced in the singular and preceded by the word a or an should be understood as not necessarily excluding the plural of the elements or features. Further, references to one example or one embodiment are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional examples or embodiments that also incorporate the described elements or features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, examples or embodiments comprising or having or including an element or feature or a plurality of elements or features having a particular property may include additional elements or features not having that property. Also, it will be appreciated that the terms comprises, has, includes means including by not limited to and the terms comprising, having and including have equivalent meanings.

[0031] As used herein, the term and/or can include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements or features.

[0032] It will be understood that when an element or feature is referred to as being on, attached to, connected to, coupled with, contacting, etc. another element or feature, that element or feature can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled with or contacting the other element or feature or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element or feature is referred to as being, for example, directly on, directly attached to, directly connected to, directly coupled with or directly contacting another element of feature, there are no intervening elements or features present.

[0033] It will be understood that spatially relative terms, such as under, below, lower, over, above, upper, front, back and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of an element or feature to another element or feature as illustrated in the drawings. The spatially relative terms can however, encompass different orientations in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings.

[0034] Turning now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a plant container for a vertical garden, in use, with the plant container being generally indicated by reference numeral 20. Plant container 20 is configured to form part of a vertical garden (not shown) comprising a plurality of the plant containers 20. Each plant container 20 is configured to be supported on a vertical support surface (not shown) such as a wall, with each plant container 20 containing a quantity of growth medium, such as soil S, and one or more plants P growing therein. Each plant container 20 comprises an irrigation dispenser 22 that is configured to convey a measured amount of irrigation fluid, such as water or a water-fertilizer solution, to root tips R of the one or more plants P growing therein.

[0035] The plant container 20 may be better seen in FIGS. 3 to 12. The plant container 20 comprises a container body 24 on which the irrigation dispenser 22 is disposed. The container body 24 is generally in the form of an open vessel, and in this embodiment the container body 24 comprises four (4) walls, namely a front wall 26, a first side wall 28, a second side wall 32 and a rear wall 34, and a floor 36. The container body 24 also comprises a support feature extending from the rear wall 34, for enabling the container body 24 to engage the vertical support surface so that the plant container 20 can be supported. In the example shown, the support feature is in the form of a longitudinal angled tab 38 that extends the length of the rear wall 34. The longitudinal angled tab 38 defines a channel 42 along its length, which is sized to matingly receive a corresponding vertical support feature (not shown) of the vertical support surface. The corresponding vertical support feature may be, for example, a complementarily shaped support bracket (not shown) mounted on the wall (or other vertical support surface) having one or more tabs or projections sized to matingly engage the channel 42.

[0036] In the example shown, the container body 24 is fabricated from a single piece of material, and in this embodiment the container body 24 is fabricated from a single piece of polyurethane plastic by injection molding.

[0037] The irrigation dispenser 22 may be better seen in FIGS. 8 to 12. The irrigation dispenser 22 has an elongate, tapered shape that is sized to extend nearly the height, h, of each of the side walls 28 and 32 of the container body 24. In the example shown, the irrigation dispenser 22 has a front wall 52 having a central, elongate rib 54 projecting forwardly therefrom, a first tapered side wall 56 and a second tapered side wall 58 each projecting rearwardly from a respective edge of the front wall 52, and a hooked tab 62 extending rearwardly from an upper edge of the front wall 52. As will be understood, the elongate rib 54 is shaped to provide structural support to the irrigation dispenser 22 against pressure applied by the soil S, while providing a cavity for accommodating irrigation fluid. The hooked tab 62 defines a channel 64 along its length, which is sized to matingly receive an upper edge of one of the side walls 28 and 32 of the container body 24 to enable the irrigation dispenser 22 to be suspended thereon. The irrigation dispenser 22 also has a hollow, upwardly extending nipple 66 formed at an upper end thereof. The nipple 66 has a fluid passage 68 formed therethrough. The nipple 66 is configured to be connected to a conduit C, which in the example shown is a flexible hose, for delivery of irrigation fluid (not shown) to the irrigation dispenser 22, during use. In this embodiment, the nipple 66 has an outer diameter that is slightly larger than an inner diameter of the conduit C for providing an interference fit between the conduit C and the nipple 66. The irrigation dispenser 22 also has a discharge opening 70 defined at a lower end thereof, through which irrigation fluid can flow into the interior of the container body 24, during use. A bottommost surface of the irrigation dispenser 22 defines a perimeter of the discharge opening 70. As will be understood, due to the generally triangular shape of each of the first and second tapered side walls 56 and 58, and due to the existence of the elongate rib 54, the area of the discharge opening 70 is large relative to the size of the irrigation dispenser 22, which advantageously prevents clogging of the discharge opening 70, such as by soil S, during use.

[0038] In the example shown, the irrigation dispenser 22 is fabricated from a single piece of material, and in this embodiment the container body 24 is fabricated from a single piece of polyurethane plastic by injection molding.

[0039] The irrigation dispenser 22 is configured to be installed on the container body 24 by engaging the hooked tab 62 onto an upper edge of either the first side wall 28 or the second side wall 32. Once installed, the tapered side walls 56 and 58 are configured to both abut the first side wall 28 (or the second side wall 32, if installed thereon) along their lengths, as shown in FIG. 6. The elongate rib 54, the front wall 52, and the tapered side walls 56 and 58 of the irrigation dispenser 22 together define, with the first side wall 28 (or the second side wall 32) of the container body 24, an enclosure 80 sized to accommodate a quantity or charge of irrigation fluid that is defined by the volume of the enclosure 80. In the example shown, the volume of the enclosure 80 is about four (4) fluid ounces. As can be seen for example in FIG. 6, the fluid passage 68 is in fluid communication with the enclosure 80.

[0040] The irrigation dispenser 22 is sized such that, when installed, the bottommost surface of the irrigation dispenser 22, which defines the perimeter of the discharge opening 70, is spaced above the floor 36 of the container body 24 by a minimum distance d. In the example shown, the value of d is about 0.14 inches (about 4 mm). As will be understood, positioning the opening 70 near the floor 36 of the container body 24 allows irrigation fluid to be delivered to the soil S surrounding the root tips R of the one or more plants P growing therein, and away from the top surface of soil S from which undesirable evaporation would otherwise occur. In the example shown, ratio A of the height of the irrigation dispenser 22 and the height h of the first or second side wall 28 or 32, namely A=(h?d)/h, is about 0.95. However, it will be understood that the irrigation dispenser 22 may alternatively be differently sized relative to the container body 24, and that the values of d and/or A may alternatively be different, provided that the bottommost surface of the irrigation dispenser 22 is spaced above the floor 36 of the container body 24, and provided that the irrigation fluid is still delivered to the soil S surrounding the root tips R, and away from the top surface of soil S.

[0041] In use, the plant container 20 is assembled by engaging the hooked tab 62 of the irrigation dispenser 22 onto the upper edge of either the first side wall 28 or the second side wall 32, such that the irrigation dispenser 22 is suspended therefrom. When the irrigation dispenser is installed in this manner, the irrigation dispenser 22 and the first side wall 28 (or the second side wall 32) of the container body 24 define the enclosure 80 sized to accommodate the volume of irrigation fluid. With the irrigation dispenser 22 installed, the interior of the container body 24 may be partially filled with soil S and one or more plants P (and/or one or more seeds, not shown, that will eventually grow into one or more plants P). During soil filling, the soil S is added such that the soil S fills a portion of the interior of the container body 24 around an exterior of the irrigation dispenser 22, but does not significantly enter through the discharge opening 70 into the enclosure 80, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0042] The plant container 20 is then installed on the vertical support surface (not shown) by engaging the longitudinal angled tab 38 of the container body 24 with the vertical support feature (not shown) mounted on the vertical support surface. The conduit C is connected to the nipple 66 of the irrigation dispenser 22, either before installation on the vertical support surface, or after.

[0043] To deliver irrigation fluid to the plant container 20, a distal end of the conduit C is connected to an irrigation fluid source (not shown), such as a portable pressurized water supply, a portable pressurized water-fertilizer solution supply, a water tap, and the like. A volume of irrigation fluid is then delivered through the conduit C into to the enclosure 70 of the irrigation dispenser 22. As the rate of fluid flow into the enclosure 80 is greater than the rate of fluid flow out the enclosure 80 via the discharge opening 70 into the surrounding soil S, the volume of irrigation fluid either fills or partially fills the enclosure 80, after which delivery of irrigation fluid through the conduit C is terminated. The irrigation fluid now in the enclosure 80 gradually flows out through the discharge opening 70 into the surrounding soil S, where it remains primarily near the floor 36 of the container body 24 and away from the top surface of the soil S. As the root tips R are located near the floor 36, the one or more plants P receive irrigation fluid, while evaporation of the irrigation fluid from the top surface of soil S is reduced.

[0044] As will be appreciated, the irrigation dispenser 22 is configured to deliver a quantity or charge of irrigation fluid that is defined by the volume of the enclosure 80 to the root tips R of the one or more plants P growing in the plant container 20. As will be understood, irrigating the root tips R of the one or more plants P with a charge of irrigation fluid that is defined by the volume of the enclosure 80 advantageously promotes a healthy environment for each plant P, as the plant only gets exactly what it needs and is therefore not over-irrigated, which would otherwise cause plant disease and infestation. Additionally, irrigating the root tips R of the one or more plants P with a charge of irrigation fluid that is defined by the volume of the enclosure 80 advantageously also enables use of a smaller volume of irrigation fluid (only four (4) fluid ounces in the example shown) by irrigating the root tips R of the one or more plants P directly, as opposed to irrigating the top of the one or more plants P which would otherwise require a much larger quantity of fluid (at least fifteen (15) fluid ounces, or more) to be able to reach the root tips R of the one or more plants P.

[0045] As will be appreciated, the irrigation dispenser 22 has a simple, one-piece construction that enables the enclosure 80 to be defined when the irrigation dispenser 22 is installed on either the first side wall 28 or the second side wall 32. When the irrigation dispenser 22 is installed in this manner, the space beneath the irrigation dispenser 22 (namely, between the discharge opening 70 and the floor 36 of the container body 24) is occupied by soil, which advantageously allows irrigation fluid to directly enter the soil S at the floor 36 of the container body 24.

[0046] As will be appreciated, the generally triangular shape of each of the first tapered side wall 56 and the second tapered side wall 58, and the existence of the elongate rib 54, increase the area of the discharge opening 70, relative to the size of the fluid passage 68. As will be appreciated, the large size of the discharge opening 70 advantageously reduces or eliminates the likelihood of the discharge opening 70 being clogged, such as by soil S, during use, as compared to conventional irrigation dispensers.

[0047] As will be appreciated, the elongate rib 54 of the irrigation dispenser 22 serves multiple purposes, as it is advantageously shaped to provide structural support to the irrigation dispenser 22 against pressure applied by the soil S, while also advantageously providing a cavity for accommodating irrigation fluid that forms part of the enclosure 80.

[0048] As will be appreciated, the irrigation dispenser 22 is configured such that it may be positioned on either the first side wall 28 or the second side wall 32 of the container body 24, which advantageously provides design versatility to the plant container 20. During use, when multiple plant containers 20 are arranged in an array during assembly of the vertical garden, each irrigation dispenser 22 may be independently installed in its respective container body 24, irrespective of the position of the irrigation dispenser 22 installed in a neighboring plant container 20, which allows the vertical garden to be assembled more easily than vertical gardens assembled from conventional plant containers. As will be understood, this versatility also advantageously allows the array of plant containers 20 to be altered, such as for example by adding, removing, or relocating one or more individual plant containers 20 within the array, in a facile manner and without having to disassemble and reassemble the entire array of plant containers 20. In contrast, vertical gardens comprising conventional plant containers having linked or stacked irrigation dispensers typically require disassembly and reassembly of the entire array of plant containers.

[0049] As will be appreciated, the hooked tab 62 of the irrigation dispenser 22 allows the portion of the irrigation dispenser 22 above the soil S to be secured to the container body 24. As will be understood, by securing the upper portion of the irrigation dispenser 22 to the container body 24, the likelihood of accidental displacement of the irrigation dispenser 22 during maintenance of the array of plant containers 20, which typically involves accidental pulling or tugging of the conduit C, is advantageously reduced or eliminated.

[0050] Variations are contemplated. For example, although in the embodiment described above, the plant container 24 comprises four (4) walls and a floor 36, in other embodiments, the plant container 24 may alternatively be cylindrically shaped, or generally cylindrically or rounded-box shaped, and therefore may alternatively have a single wall and a floor, with the irrigation dispenser 22 being installed on the single wall.

[0051] Although in the embodiment described above, the irrigation dispenser 22 comprises the nipple 66 configured to be connected to the conduit C, in other embodiments, the irrigation dispenser may alternatively have a receptacle at an upper end thereof sized to matingly receive an end of the conduit C, and having a fluid passage in fluid communication with the enclosure 80. The receptacle may, for example, have an inner diameter that is slightly smaller than an outer diameter of the conduit C for providing an interference fit between the receptacle and the conduit C.

[0052] Although in the embodiment described above, the container body 24 comprises a support feature in the form of a longitudinal angled tab 38 that extends the length of the rear wall 34, in other embodiments, the longitudinal angled tab 38 may alternatively not extend the full length of the rear wall. In still other embodiments, the support feature may alternatively be another suitable shape that enables the container body to engage the vertical support surface so that the plant container can be supported.

[0053] Although embodiments have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those of skill in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.