Plant Pot Holder or Reservoir

It has been a usual practice for many years to grow potted plants indoors and one of the major difficulties in growing plants indoors especially in winter is the maintenance of proper humidity for the plants. It is well known that while comfortable temperatures may be maintained indoors in the winter, the air contains only minor amounts of moisture and is too dry to satisfactorily sustain potted plants. In heated dwellings in the wintertime the air has about ten percent humidity or less and such atmosphere tends to cause drying, curling and browning of plant foilage as well as to promote insect infestation. Where potted plants are contained in conventional clay pots, such pots have a hole or opening in the bottom and if the pot is placed in a container having a level of water so that water passes upwardly through the hole or opening, too much moisture may be provided which impairs the growth of many plants.

The invention has for an object the provision of a bowl, container or reservoir in which may be mounted or supported a plant pot, such as a conventional clay pot, the bowl, container or reservoir being configurated to support a plant pot above water contained in the bowl, container or reservoir to thereby provide an aura of moisture in the air surrounding the potted plant.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a bowl, container or reservoir for mounting plant pots wherein the bowl, container or reservoir has raised portions, lands or platform means for supporting a plant pot and the bowl, container or reservoir adapted to contain water which evaporates to provide a region or aura of increased humidity or moist atmosphere around the plant to maintain the foilage of the plant cool, fresh and invigorated. The moisture adheres to the leaves and is absorbed through their stomata or pores to enhance a healthy condition of the plant, the bowl, container or reservoir adapted to hold or catch excess water in event of occurrence of overwatering of a plant.

Another object of the invention resides in a bowl, container, holder or reservoir having comparatively thin walls which may be molded of suitable plastic or resinous material of various colors or fashioned of sheet metal and configurated with interior raised portions providing platforms or supports for plant pots or the like.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a bowl, container or reservoir formed with a suitable recess whereby the bowl, container or reservoir may be supported by an annular member or portion of a support frame and adjusted or maintained in proper position so that a plant pot is in upright condition irrespective of the relative position of the support frame.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of this invention such as relate to the arrangement, method of operation and function of the related elements, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economies of manufacture and numerous other features as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification and drawing of a form of the invention, which may be preferred, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bowl or container of the invention for supporting plant pots;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the bowl or container shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the bowl or container;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the bowl or container;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the bowl or container;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a frame construction including annular members adapted for supporting bowls or containers of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 7--7 of FIG. 6, and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 8--8 of FIG. 7.

The form of bowl, container, member, holder or reservoir shown in the drawings for supporting or mounting plant pots is shaped or configurated to be received and supported upon curved or annular bodies or members of a frame construction 10 which may comprise annular bodies or members 11, 12 and 13 welded or otherwise secured together which are arranged in a single vertical plane. One or more curved bodies, annular members or rings 14 (one member being shown in FIG. 6) may be arranged in a transverse plane and secured to the curved bodies or annular members 11 and 12 to facilitate mounting of the frame 10 on a horizontal surface.

It is to be understood that the bowl, container or reservoir of the invention may be shaped to be mounted upon or supported by other types of frame means. A form of plant pot mounting or supporting bowl, container, member, holder or reservoir 15 is illustrated in the drawings. The bowl, container or reservoir 15 is especially configurated with recess means whereby the bowls, containers or reservoirs may be received and supported by curved bodies or annular members as shown in FIG. 6 and hereinafter described.

In FIG. 6, an annular member or ring 11 forming a component of a frame structure 10 is received in a recess 16 formed centrally and lengthwise in the bottom of the bowl, container or reservoir 15. The annular member or ring 12 of the frame 10 may receive and support a bowl, container or reservoir 17 which is similar to the bowl 15 but of smaller size to be received and supported by the annular member 12 of lesser diameter.

The bowl, container or reservoir 15 is preferably molded of suitable plastic or resinous material, such as ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), polyethylene or the like. If desired, the bowl, container or reservoir may be fashioned of sheet metal, such as an alloy of aluminum or similar material. The contour of the recess 16 in the bowl 15 has curved portions 18 which are of substantially the same curvature as the inner wall or surface of the annular member or ring 11 whereby the ring 11 is received in the recess 16.

By reason of the curved regions 18 of the base of the recess 16, the bowl, container or reservoir 15 may be disposed in any angular position on the ring 11 irrespective of the relative position of the ring 11 with the latter maintained in a vertical plane. Through this arrangement the frame 10 may be rotated in any position with the plane of the annular member or ring 11 maintained in a vertical plane so that the bowl, container or reservoir 15 may be rotated or adjusted relative to the ring 11 to always maintain the plant pot 20, shown in broken lines in FIG. 6, in an upright position. The bowl, container or reservoir 17 may be likewise rotated or adjusted on the ring 12.

Referring more specifically to the bowl, container or reservoir 15, the same is of generally oval configuration having a comparatively thin wall as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5. The bottom region of the bowl, container or reservoir 15 is fashioned with a transversely extending recess 26. The recesses 16 and 26 open into a central space 28 as shown in FIG. 5. The side walls defining the recess 16 are shown at 32 in FIGS. 1 and 2 and in broken lines in FIG. 7. The side walls defining the recess 26 are shown at 34 in FIG. 1 and in broken lines in FIGS. 2 and 8.

The side walls 32 of the longitudinal recess 16 are integrally joined in molding with a bridge portion 36 which is imperforate throughout its length, and the side walls 34 of the recess 26 are integrally joined in molding with a bridge portion 38.

The bridge portions 36 and 38 defining the bottoms of the recesses 16 and 26 are configurated interiorly of the bowl to provide stepped regions, lands or platforms upon which plant pots of different diameters may be supported, and the side walls 32 and 34 of the recesses 16 and 26 define compartments, chambers or reservoirs adapted to contain water in order to provide increased humidity for plants in plant pots mounted in the bowl, container, reservoir or holder 15.

The juncture region of the bridge portions 36 and 38 provides an imperforate planar surface or floor portion 40 beneath a plant pot supported by the bowl or container, the central planar portion 40 being illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 7 and 8. The bridge portions 36 and 38 adjacent the central portion 40 are configurated respectively with raised portions, lands or platforms 42 and 44 which are in a plane above the central portion 40. The raised or step-like portions 42 and 44 are connected respectively with the central portion 40 by upwardly extending portions 46 and 47.

The bridge portions 36 and 38 are respectively provided with raised portions, lands or platforms 48 and 50, the raised portions or lands being connected respectively with the raised portions or lands 42 and 44 by upwardly extending portions 52 and 54. The upper surfaces of the raised portions or lands 48 and 50 are on the same plane and are above the plane of the raised portions or lands 42 and 44 as particularly shown in FIGS. 1, 7 and 8.

The raised portions, lands or platforms 42 and 44 are adapted to receive and accommodate plant pots of diameters not exceeding the distance between the pairs of upwardly extending portions 52 and 54. The raised portions or lands 48 and 50 are adapted to receive and support plant pots of larger diameters. The arrangement of side walls and bridge portions defining the longitudinal recess 16 and the arrangement of said walls and bridge portions defining the transverse recess 26 provide four chambers, reservoirs or compartments 58 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 7 and 8.

In use, the reservoirs, chambers or compartments 58 are filled with water preferably to a level of the planar portion 40. As a plant pot supported on the lands 42, 44 or the lands 48, 50 has its bottom surface above the level of the water in the chambers or compartments 58, the water does not enter the plant pot through the hole or opening in the bottom of a conventional plant pot but evaporates or volatilizes to provide an embient environment or aura of moisture or increased humidity about the plant in a pot.

It is found that the aura of high humidity effectively maintains the foilage of a plant cool, fresh or invigorated as the moisture adheres to the leaves and is absorbed through their stomata or pores to promote a healthy condition of the plant. Any excess of water will be contained within the plant pot support container or bowl 15 or 17.

The bowls, containers, reservoirs or holders 15 and 17 are of generally concave configuration having a comparatively thin wall and may be fashioned of various colors of resinous material to enhance the appearance. It is found that the wall thickness of the bowl, container or reservoir made of plastic is preferably in a range of about one-sixteenth of an inch to about one-quarter of an inch but may be of a greater or lesser thickness if desired.

It is apparent that, within the scope of the invention, modifications and different arrangements may be made other than as herein disclosed, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the invention comprehending all variations thereof.