GB2190573A

GB2190573A - Plant watering system

Info

Publication number: GB2190573A
Application number: GB08709562A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David William Jones
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-05-20
Filing date: 1987-04-23
Publication date: 1987-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 2007-04-23
Also published as: GB8709562D0; GB2190573B; GB8612243D0

Abstract

The plant watering system, which is for watering hanging plant pots has a body member (1) with a lower pot support hook (2) and an upper suspension hook (3). The body member has a lower part (4) and an upper part (5) which is slidably received in the lower part. The end of hook (2) is fixed to a piston (6) which is slidable under the influence of gravity in a blind bore (7) in upper part (5), resisted by spring (9). Upper part (5) has a cavity connected to a water inlet (11) and an outlet (12). Inlet (11) is sealed by a seal (22); when the weight of a pot attached to hook (2) exceeds the force of spring (9), the piston (6) moves down causing the seal (22) to cut off flow of water through the inlet. When the pot loses weight (because of loss of moisture), the spring overcomes the pot weight, moves the piston (6) upwards, releasing pressure on the seal (22), allowing water through the inlet, then through the body member and out through the outlet. The point at which the water is permitted to flow through the body member is calibrated, depending on the weight of plant pot attached to lower hook 2, by screwing lower part 4 up or down to adjust the tension of the spring. The change in weight in a pot attached to the hook can therefore be used to directly control the watering needs of the pot. The water flow may be controlled by a spool-valve or a pinch- cock system and the piston replaced by a diaphragm. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Plant Watering System The present invention is concerned with a plant watering system, and, in particular a system for watering hanging plant containers, such as pots or baskets.

Hanging baskets are typically of openwork plastics coated wire or wire-mesh construction; a plant pot is supported by the basket and the basket is supported above the ground by a hook, a cantilever type bracket or the like. Plants in pots in such hanging baskets must, of course, be watered regularly, particularly when in indoor or sheltered locations or when outside in summer months. The watering operation involves either taking the pots down, or watering them in the hanging position.

Taking the pots down can be difficult, and can cause damage to the plants; it is furthermore difficult to ensure that the growing medium does not become too dry. When the pots are watered in the hanging position, it can again be difficult to ensure that the growing medium (such as soil) does not become too dry; one attempt to solve this problem is to provide a regular flow of water by means of a drip feed. The problem with this method is that the optimum need is not constant, and varies with the weather conditions; on the one hand there is the possibility of overwatering (which can cause messy dripping on the floor and loss of nutrients) or underwatering (which can cause damage to the plants).

According to the present invention, there is provided a plant watering system which comprises a body member having attachment means for attachment of said body member to a rigid support, suspension means for suspending a hanging basket from said body member, a liquid conduit passing through said body member, which conduit is arranged to permit liquid communication between a source of water and growing medium within said hanving basket, in which the attachment means and the suspension means are moveable relative to one another, said movement being opposed by biassing means arranged to act on valve means capable of causing respective opening and closing of said liquid conduit, the valve means being provided with calibration means such that said valve means can cause opening of said conduit when said biassing means is deformed by a first predetermined amount and closing thereof when said biassing means is deformed by a second predetermined amount.

The plant watering system according to the invention can be arranged to ensure that the valve means opens the conduit when the weight of the hanging basket is less than a predetermined amount and closes when the weight is not less than the predetermined amount.

The watering needs of the basket will therefore be dependent solely on its weight, the only adjustment which will be necessary is to compensate for the increased weight of the basket due to the growth of the plants contained within (the increase in plant weight is usually small in comparison to the initial weight of the basket and any adjustment needed is small).

In the watering system according to the invention, the conduit opens when the moisture content of the growing medium decreases and lowers the weight of the basket, allowing water to flow into the basket and therefore restoring itto its original weight, at which time the conduit will close shutting off the water supply. The growing medium can therefore be kept at a substantially constant moisture level at all times.

This system can replace the lost water almost immediately, and in small quantities, so that the problems of underwatering or overwatering of the basket can be alleviated.

The conduit can be supplied with water (optionally containing nutrients) from a gravity feed, pumped feed or from the mains supply. Small bore plastic piping of low flow capacity can be used for the supply.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa sectional view of a first embodiment of watering system according to the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view of a first modification of watering system of Figure 1; and Figures 3,4 and 5 are sectional views of further modifications of the watering system of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1,there is shown a device comprising a body member 1 having a basket support hook 2 and suspension hook 3. Body member 1 is in two parts, namely a lower part 4and an upper part 5 (suspension hook 3 being fixed to the latter).

The end of basket support hook 2 is fixed to a piston 6 which is slidable in a blind bore 7 in upper part 5 (there being a sealing ring 8 provided between the blind bore 7 and the piston 6).

Downward movement of the piston 6 is resisted by means of a coil spring 9 disposed in the blind bore 7 between the piston 6 and the lower part 4. The latter may be screwed up or down to adjust the tension on spring 9.

Within upper part 5 is a liquid conduit 10 comprising a liquid inlet 11 connected to a liquid outlet 12 via a one-way valve 13; the valve 13 is such that it is closed when piston 6 is in a lower position and open when piston 6 is in an upper position.

When a basket is suspended from hook 2, a compressive force is exerted on spring 9, the magnitude thereof depending on the weight of the basket. As the basket becomes lighter (for example, as the growing medium dries out and needs watering) the piston 6 is forced upwards by means of the spring 9, to the upper position thereof, whereupon the valve 13 is opened allowing water to flow from inlet 11 to outlet 12. The valve closes as the weight of the basket increases (for example, by the watering of growing medium in a pot in the basket).

The tension of the spring 9 is initially adjusted using lower part 4 so that the liquid supply through the valve is shut off when the moisture level of the growing medium is at the correct level. The valve can operate such that loss of moisture can be replaced almost immediately keeping the moisture content of the growing medium substantially constant.

As the plants grow the basket weight will increase and therefore cause the moisture content of the growing medium to be reduced; this can be compensated for by the adjustment of lower part 4 of body member 1, at intervals of approximately 6 weeks, during the growing season to maintain the growing medium at the optimum moisture level. If no adjustment is carried out during the growing season, and the moisture content of the growing medium was initially at or near its maximum level, the plants might still receive adequate water but at the end of the season the moisture content of the growing medium would be at or near the minimum required level. But allowing for the fact that the lost water is replaced almost immediately there is less need for the growing medium to retain a reserve of moisture.When a basket is watered by conventional means it has this reserve of moisture when it is watered and it can be near to the minimum moisture level when it receives water again. Ths mass of water, stored in the medium, is far in excess of the change of weight due to plant growth (the plant foliage only increases the basket weight by a small percentage during the season).

Referring now to Figures 2 to 4, the devices illustrated are broadly similar to that illustrated in Figure 1 and like parts are denoted by like reference numerals. The devices illustrated differ from the device of Figure 1 in the nature of the valve.

The valve in the device of Figure 2 is a spool valve 14 having a sealing ring 15 therearound. In its lower position, the spool valve prevents liquid communication between the inlet and the outlet, while in the upper position such communication is permitted.

The device shown in Figure 3 represents a modification of the device shown in Figure 1, in which the piston 6 and the sealing ring 8 are replaced by a flexible diaphragm 20.

Referring to Figure 4 (in which again like parts are denoted by like reference numerals), the hook 3 is in the form of a closed loop and the spring 9 is received in a well 20 in the base of the body m somber 1 and by shoulders 21 on piston 6. Inlet 11 is I aled by a seal 22 which is connected by a lever 2310 a pivot arm 24.

When the weight of a basket attached to hook 2 exceeds the force exerted by the spring 9, the piston 6 moves down applying a force on the seal 22 via the lever 23 and pivot arm 24, causing the seal 22 to shut off the flow of fluid through the inlet 11. It is particularly preferred in this embodiment that the internal diameter of the inlet 11 is not more than 2 mm., typically about 1.5 mm., which is sufficiently small to ensure that the effect of mains pressure (of a mains supply connected to the inlet) on the seal 22 is minimised.

When the basket loses weight (for example, because of loss of fluid), the spring 9 overcomes the basket weight and moves the piston 6 upwards thereby releasing the pressure of the seal 22 on the inlet 11 and allowing water/nutrient to flow through the body member and out through the outlet 12 to a plant pot (not shown), thereby replacing the lost fluid. Although this flow may only be a trickle, it will continue until the pot regains its original weight.

When the plant pot reaches its original weight setting, the piston 6 overcomes the force exerted by the spring 9 and the flow of fluid is stopped. The seal 22 can seal the small bore inlet after a very small change in weight of the basket (for example about less than 1 Newton) because of the leverage provided by lever 23 and pivot arm 24 and the small effective force applied via inlet 11.

Afurtherseal 25 is provided to preventfluid leakage past piston 6.

Referring to Figure 5 (in which again like parts are denoted by like reference numerals), liquid flow through the device is through a flexible tube 16.

The valve is a simple pinch-cock system, where a piston 17 in its lower position presses flexible tube 16 against an anvil 18, pinching the tube and shutting off the water supply.

Various modifications of the devices illustrated are possible. For example, instead of using a coil spring, a resilient rubber member or a leaf spring or any other suitable spring may be used.

Claims

1. A plant watering system, which comprises a body member having attachment means for attachment of said body member to a rigid support, suspension means for suspending a hanging basket from said body member, a liquid conduit passing through said body member, which conduit is arranged to permit liquid communication between a source of water and growing medium within said hanging basket, in which the attachment means and the suspension means are moveable relative to one another, said movement being opposed by biassing means arranged to act on valve means capable of causing respective opening and closing of said liquid conduit, the valve means being provided with calibration means such that said valve means can cause opening of said conduit when said biassing means is deformed by a first predetermined amount and closing thereof when said biassing means is deformed by a second predetermined amount.

2. A plant watering system according to claim 1, in which said calibration means is such that the valve means opens the conduit when the weight of the hanging basket is less than a predetermined amount and closes when said weight is not less than said predetermined weight.

3. A plant watering system according to claim 1 or 2, in which said conduit includes a cavity within said body member.

4. A plant watering system according to claim 3, in which said cavity is within said upper part.

5. A plant watering system according to claim 3 or 4, in which said valve means comprises a pivotally mounted member which is moveable between a first position in which it closes an inlet to said cavity and a second position in which it permits flow through said inlet to said cavity.

6. A plant watering system according to claim 5, in which the inlet to said cavity has an internal bore with a diameter not exceeding 2 millimetres.

7. A plant watering system according to any of claims 1 to 6, in which said calibration means comprises means for adjusting the separation between the top of the upper part and the bottom of the lower part.

8. A plant watering system according to any of claims 1 to 7, in which said biassing means comprises a compression spring.

9. A plant watering system substantially as described herein with reference to any of Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.