GB2040659A - Plant watering apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Plant watering apparatus comprising a reservoir (1) for water, a chamber (3) beneath the reservoir (1), at least one primary wick (7) communicating the reservoir (1) with the chamber (3) and at least one secondary wick (11) extending through aside wall (9) of the chamber (3) along which water can flow to a plant container located adjacent the apparatus. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Plant watering apparatus This invention relates to plantwatering apparatus.

The invention has as its object to provide plant watering apparatus which will enable plants in pots or other containers to be watered automatically over an extended period of time, e.g., over a period of two weeks whiist a person who normally tends the plants is on holiday.

The present invention provides plant watering apparatus comprising a reservoir for water, a chamber beneath the reservoir, at least one primary wick communicating the reservoir with the chamber whereby water may pass from the reservoir to the chamber at a predetermined controlled rate, and at least one secondary wick extending from the interior to the exterior of the chamber and the free outer end of which can be placed in contact with the growing medium in a plant container so that water may pass from the chamber to the growing medium at a predetermined controlled rate.

The said reservoir and chamber may be provided by a pair of trays, e.g. of metal or plastics, one of which is supported on or nests within the top of the other so that the bottom walls thereof are spaced from one another, the upper tray comprising the reservoir and the chamber being defined between the spaced bottom walls of the trays. Preferably the trays have side walls which are inclined outwardly from the bottom walls thereof so that the upper tray will nest within the top of the lower tray.

The or each said primary wick preferably extends through an aperture in a bottom wall of the reservoir downwardly into said chamber. The or each secondary wick preferably extends through an aperture in a side wall of the chamber adjacent the bottom thereof to ensure that the inner end of the secondary wick will be immersed in any water in the chamber.

Each of said apertures through which a primary or secondary wick passes preferably has a grommet therein through which the wick passes, the said grommet being of rubber,synthetic rubber or plastics material. The sizes of the apertures, grommets and wicks are so chosen as to give a required rate of water flow along the wicks, e.g., a rate of one half-pint of water per week for the or each secondary wick and a suitable make-up flow along the or each primary wick, the required sizes of the apertures, grommets and wicks being readily determinable by trial and error according to the particular type, composition and flow capabilities of the wick being used.

Preferably the secondary and primary wicks are provided in a ratio of 4:1,i.e., four secondary wicks to each primary wick. Thus if twelve secondary wicks are to be provided for watering up to twelve plants in containers then three primary wicks would be provided. Where the apparatus is provided with a plurality of primary and secondary wicks, e.g., three primary wicks and twelve secondary wicks, and a number of plants in containers less than twelve require to be watered then those primary and secondary wicks not required can be removed and plugs provided for plugging the apertures or grommets from which the wicks have been removed.

In use the reservoir and chamber are preferably positioned at the level of or a little above the tops of the plant containers to which water is to be supplied and to this end the reservoir and container may be mounted on a suitable stand, e.g., a plastics coated wire stand.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of plant watering apparatus according to the present invention, and Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevation on a larger scale of part of the apparatus of Figure 1.

The plant watering apparatus illustrated comprises a pair of plastics trays 1, 2 nested one within the top of the other so that a chamber 3 is defined therebetween. The upper tray 1 acts as a water reservoir and has at least one aperture 4 in the bottom wall 5 thereof in which a rubber grommet 6 is fitted. A primary wick 7 extends through the grommet 6 and into the chamber 3. The lower tray 2 has apertures 8 in the opposed side walls 9 thereof in each of which a rubber grommet 10 is provided. A secondary wick 11 extends through each of the grommets 10, the secondary wicks 11 being of sufficient length to extend to plant containers (not shown) clustered around the plant watering apparatus.

The trays 1 and 2 are supported on a stand 12 which may conveniently be formed from plasticscoated wire.

The primary and secondary wicks 7 and 11 may each comprise a so-called "bolster" wick of bleached cotton or other suitable material and may be substantially round in cross-section with a diameter of substantially three-sixteenths of an inch. Each of said apertures 4 and 8 may have a diameter of .240" and each of said grommets 6 and 10 may have a diameter of three-sixteenths of an inch. Such a combination of wick, aperture and grommet has been found to give a flow rate along the wick of approximately one-half pint of water per week.

In the illustrated embodiment six secondary wicks 11 are provided in each of the opposed side walls 9 of the tray 2 so that a total of twelve plants in containers can be watered. The ratio of secondary wicks 11 to primary wicks 7 is preferably 4:1 so three primary wicks 7 will be provided in the bottom of tray 1. If less than twelve plants are to be watered then any excess secondary wicks 11 and primary wicks 7 can be removed and the open grommets 6 and/or 10 plugged with suitable plugs (not shown).

Where a plant requires more water than one-half pint per week then two or more wicks 11 may be extended to the one plant container to satisfy the needs of the particular plant therein.

Although not shown, the uppertray 1 may, if desired, be provided with a suitable lid or cover.

In use, the upper tray 1 is removed from the lower tray 2 and a quantity of water is placed in the lower tray 2. The upper tray 1 is then positioned in the top of the tray 2 and the upper tray 1 is then filled with water. Plants in containers to be watered are placed around the apparatus and the secondary wicks 11 are led to the plant containers and are placed in contact with the growing medium therein. As water passes from the chamber 3 to the plant containers along the secondary wicks 11 so make-up water will pass from the reservoir tray 1 into the chamber 3 by way of primary wicks 7.

Claims (10)

1. Plant watering apparatus comprising a reservoirforwater, a chamber beneath the reservoir, at least one primary wick communicating the reservoir with the chamber whereby water may pass from the reservoir to the chamber at a predetermined controlled rate, and at least one secondary wick extending from the interior to the exterior of the chamber and the free outer end of which can be placed in contact with the growing medium in a plant container so that water may pass from the chamber to the growing medium at a predetermined controlled rate.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1,wherein said reservoir and said chamber are provided by a pair of trays one of which is supported on or nests within the top of the other so that the bottom walls thereof are spaced apart, the upper tray comprising the reservoir and the chamber being defined between the spaced bottom walls of the trays.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said trays have side walls which incline outwardly from the bottom walls thereof so that the upper tray will nest within the top of the lower tray.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said primary wick extends through an aperture in a bottom wall of the reservoir downwardly into said chamber.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each secondary wick extends through an aperture in a side wall of said chamber adjacent the bottom thereof.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein each of said apertures through which a primary or secondary wick extends has a grommet therein through which the wick passes.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein four secondary wicks are provided for the or each primary wick.

8. Apparatus according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein said primary and/or secondary wicks are removable from said apertures or said grommets and wherein means is provided for plugging any aperture or grommet from which a wick is removed.

9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a stand is provided upon which said reservoir and said chamber may be mounted.

10. Plant watering apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.