Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FLUID DISPENSING DEVICE FOR OVERHEAD PLANTS
Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to method and apparatus for dispensing fluid
on
overhead plants.
Background of Invention
For aesthetic as well as air quality related health reasons, a typical office
or
residential environment generally includes a large number of plants.
Maintenance of such
plants generally includes dispensing fluids on such plants regularly,
including water, and
liquid fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides, as well as admixtures of the
same.
Plants are often placed out of the reach of a person of ordinary height. For
example, containers for plants are often suspended from the ceiling or placed
on the top
of bookshelves or the like. Currently individuals responsible for maintaining
such plants
use a ladder or chair to remove such plants from their elevated position for
maintenance,
or alternatively use a ladder or chair to reach the plants and dispense water,
and liquid
fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides directly onto the plant using some
form of dispenser
such as a watering can. Dispensing these liquids in this fashion is not only
cumbersome
but also constitutes a safety hazard as there is a risk that the individuals
maintaining the
plants in this way might injure themselves while mounting and dismounting the
ladder or
pedestal. Particularly where a large number of plants need to be maintained,
the risk of
injury is not negligible. The risk of injury is still greater where the
individuals
maintaining the plants are of an agility that is less than average due to
advanced age or
infirmity. Furthermore, there is a risk of spillage onto the floor when
dispensing liquids
on overhead plants.
Various devices are known for dispensing liquids required for maintenance of
plants. None, however, are known which disclose means for addressing the
aforenoted
problem. There is a need therefore for a fluid dispensing device particularly
for use with
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respect to overhead plants. There is a further need for such a fluid
dispensing device
which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to operate.
Numerous devices are known for dispensing liquids required for the maintenance
of plants. For example, U.S. Patent No. 216,808 issued to A. Schrader on June
24,
1879 relates to a plant sprinkler in which a rose sprinkler is combined with a
bulb, a
flexible tube, and coupling valves, and in which a loose collar at the lower
coupling valve
is provided with a hook for suspending a small pail containing the water or
other liquid
with which the plant is to be sprinkled, so that said pail will be suspended
in its proper
position to the sprinkler, and can be moved from place to place and introduced
among
plants while the watering progresses.
U.S. Patent No. 697,572 issued to Fred C. Hutchings on August 15, 1899 relates
to a sprayer whereby insect-destroying liquid may be thrown or sprayed in
considerable
quantities from a tank which comprises a pole having a delivery pipe, tank
attached to
one end of said pole, and force pump associated with said pole and tank.
U.S. Patent No. 1,407,689 issued to Clyde A. Batterson on February 28, 1992
relates to an implement for destroying weeds which includes not only means for
cutting
the root of a weed, but also means for forcibly ejecting a measured quantity
of poisonous
liquid into said root. Said implement includes a barrel adapted to hold
liquid; disk at the
lower end of the barrel and partly closing said end; nozzle member enclosing
said disk
and said barrel, and holding the disk in position, said disk having a central
aperture, a
rod reciprocable within the barrel and having a valve fast thereto, said valve
being seated
on the lower face of the disk when the rod is pulled upwardly; bore provide in
the nozzle
section and furnishing a second valve seat opposing the disk; counterbore or
reduced
diameter leading off from the bore; second counterbore leading off from the
first
counterbore and being of less diameter than the first counterbore; and
discharge vent
connected with the lower end of the second counterbore, said rod having an
extension
beyond the valve, said extension being reciprocable within the discharge vent.
U.S. Patent No. 1,984,340 issued to Alexander Goulard and Harold G. Olena on
December 11, 1934 relates to an improved hand operable spray pump comprising a
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container for holding a quantity of liquid to be sprayed by the pump; means
for attaching
the pump to said container; wire support pivotally secured to the handle end
of the pump
cylinder, said support being of a height determined by the height of the
container to
which the pump is attached so that it, together with the container, forms
means for
maintaining the pump in a substantial horizontal position when placed on a
level surface;
and said support being foldable against the pump cylinder when the pump is in
use.
U.S. Patent No. 5,287,994 issued on February 22, 1994 to James R. Dempsey
relates to a selective liquid distribution device comprising an elongated
reservoir tube
member, including a top and bottom end and internal reservoir extending along
the length
thereof; at least a portion of the elongated reservoir tube members associated
with the
transparent portion of the reservoir tube, including volume identification
markings for
indicating a liquid volume within the reservoir tube by visual alignment of
the meniscus
of a column of liquid in the reservoir tube with said identification markings;
dispenser
valve means on the bottom end of the tube, normally closed to retain liquid
within the
reservoir tube member selectively opening responsive to axial force applied
thereto in a
direction toward the top end of the tube to permit dispensing of liquid from
within the
elongated reservoir tube member; filler means on the elongated reservoir and;
and vent
adjacent the top end of the tube and opening the internal reservoir to the
surrounding
atmosphere to facilitate free drainage of liquid from the reservoir responsive
to opening
of the dispenser valve means.
Finally, others have utilized a hose reel waterer which comprises a coiled
hose
that can be attached at one end to a faucet and has at the other end a hollow
wand for
watering plants.
Summary of the Invention
One aspect of the present invention is to provide a fluid dispensing device
for
overhead plants.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a fluid
dispensing device comprising a container for holding a fluid having a first
end and second
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end opposite to the first end, and plunger operably associated with said
container. Said
container further comprises an outlet for dispensing said fluid disposed at
said first end
of said container; and a deflecting surface disposed adjacent to said outlet.
The plunger
is operable to introduce said fluid into said container and dispense said
fluid from said
container over said deflecting surface and through said outlet.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, a fluid dispensing
device
for overhead plants is disclosed comprising a hollow cylinder having an inner
surface,
a first end and a second end opposite to said first end, and plunger
associated with said
hollow cylinder. Said hollow cylinder further includes an outlet for
dispensing said fluid
at said first end of said hollow cylinder and curved nozzle disposed adjacent
to said
outlet. Said plunger further comprises a rod; piston attached to said rod,
said piston
having an outer surface, and said rod and piston being slidably mounted within
said
hollow cylinder; manually operable sliding means; and sealing means associated
with said
manually operable sliding means to substantially reduce introduction or
evacuation of air
or water from said hollow cylinder other than from said outlet when said fluid
dispensing
device is in use. Said outer surface of said piston frictionally engages said
inner surface
of said hollow cylinder when said rod and piston are slidably moved within
said hollow
cylinder. Said rod and piston are moveable in a first direction for
introducing said fluid
into said hollow cylinder, and in a second direction for dispensing said fluid
from said
hollow cylinder to said outlet with said curved surface guiding said fluid
from said outlet
to said overhead plants.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a process for watering
an
overhead plant, which comprises the steps of introducing fluid into a fluid
dispensing
device having a container with opposed first and second ends, by slidably
moving a
plunger within the container towards said first end where the plunger is
slidably mounted
within said container, and said container further comprises an outlet and
curved nozzle
adjacent to said outlet; and then dispensing said fluid onto said overhead
plant by pointing
said curved nozzle toward said overhead plant and moving said plunger toward
said
second end and dispensing said fluid to the outlet with the curved nozzle
guiding the fluid
from the outlet to the overhead plants.
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Brief Descr~tion of Drawings
A detailed description of the preferred embodiments are provided herein below,
by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which:
Fig. la is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the fluid
dispensing device wherein the plunger is in a first position.
Fig. 1b is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of the fluid
dispensing device wherein the plunger is in a second position.
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the
fluid
dispensing device.
Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the first preferred embodiment of the fluid
dispensing device.
Fig. 4 is a front view of the first preferred embodiment of the fluid
dispensing
device wherein water is being introduced into the device from a bucket.
Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the fluid dispensing device wherein a
fluid
is being dispensed onto an overhead plant.
Fig. 6 is a partial perspective view of a second alternate embodiment of the
fluid
dispensing device.
Fig. 7 is a partial perspective view of a third alternate embodiment of the
dispensing device.
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a fourth alternate embodiment of the fluid
dispensing device wherein an elbow is connected to the hollow cylinder.
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In the drawings, preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way
of example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings
are only
for the purpose of illustration and as an aid to understanding and are not
intended as a
definition of the limits of the invention.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
In the description which follows, like parts are marked throughout the
specification and the drawings with the same respective reference numerals.
The
drawings are not necessarily to scale and in some instances proportions may
have been
exaggerated in order to more clearly depict certain features of the invention.
Referring to Figs. la and 1b there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of
the
fluid dispensing device 10 comprising a container 12 and plunger 14. Said
container 12
further comprises a first end 16, fluid containing portion 18, curved nozzle
20 disposed
adjacent to said fluid containing portion 18 and outlet 22.
As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, said container 12 comprises a first end 16,
and
said plunger 14 further comprises a rod 24 and piston 26 mounted on one
extremity of
said rod 24. Said rod 24 has a diameter and outer surface 28. Said fluid
dispensing
device 10 further comprises an end cap 30 which is mounted on said first end
16 of said
container.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention described herein, said end cap 30
has an inner diameter which is marginally less than the outer diameter of said
first end
16 and said end cap 30 comprises a flexible resilient material, whereby said
end cap 30
is friction fitted on the outer surface of said container 12 adjacent to said
first end 16.
Alternatively, in another preferred embodiment of the invention described
herein, said
end cap 30 comprises a rigid plastic material and further comprises a side
wall which is
threaded wherein said side wall engages threads presented by the exterior
surface of said
container 12 adjacent to said first end 16.
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Said end cap 30 presents an orifice 32 for slidably receiving said rod 24. As
shown in Fig. 2, the inner diameter of said orifice 32 is marginally lesser
than said
diameter of said rod 24, and therefore said orifice 32 frictionally engages
said outer
surface 28 of said rod.
As best shown in Fig. la, said rod 24 and piston 26 are moveable in a first
direction A wherein said rod 24 is in a first position wherein said rod 24 is
substantially
outside of said container 12, and a second direction B wherein said rod 24 is
in a second
position wherein said rod 24 is substantially disposed within said container
12, as best
shown in Fig. 1b.
As best illustrated in Fig. 2, the piston 26 preferably comprises a flexible
resilient
material and further comprises an outer diameter. Said container 12 further
comprises
an inner diameter 29 which is marginally lesser than said outer diameter of
said piston
26. In addition, the diameter of said rod 24 is less than the diameter of said
container
12. Accordingly, and further by means of said rod 24 being received by said
end cap
30, said rod 24 and piston 26 are slidably mounted within said container 12.
The fluid dispensing device further comprises a sliding means for moving said
rod
and piston within said container 12. In the preferred embodiment illustrated
in Fig. 1b,
said sliding means 36 is presented by a portion of said rod 24 that protrudes
from said
end cap 30 even when said rod 24 and piston has been moved fully in said
second
direction B. The sliding means 36 is presented in association with said curved
nozzle 20
which obstructs further movement of said rod 24 and piston in said second
direction
beyond a desired point which defines the length of said sliding means 36. In
other
words, the curvature of the nozzle prevents the rod 14 from moving further in
direction
B. Alternative means for blocking further movement of said rod and piston in
said
second direction could include a blocking disk (not shown) disposed in said
container 12
at a desired point which defines the length of said sliding means, said
blocking disk
having a surface with one or more orifices which allows the passage of air and
water in
and out of said container 12 but blocks passage of said rod in said second
direction.
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Operation of the fluid dispensing device 10 described herein requires creation
of
a vacuum in said container 12. This vacuum is presented by said inner diameter
29 of
said container 12 being marginally lesser than said outer diameter 27 of said
piston 26
which prevents air from escaping said container 12 other than out of said
outlet 22. End
cap 30 further contributes to this vacuum by preventing the escape of air from
said
container when said fluid dispensing device 10 is in use although end cap 30
will permit
the escape of air between the piston 26 and end cap 30 to escape through the
seal
between the orifice 32 and rod 14 when moving the rod in direction A. In the
preferred
embodiments illustrated herein, however, said end cap 32 further presents a
pair of
aeration holes 31 for allowing air to exit said container 12 when the sliding
means is
moved in direction A, as best shown in Fig. la. Said aeration holes are sized
to allow
air to exit container 12 without allowing fluid to exit container 12, in a
manner well-
known to those skilled in the art.
In operation, as best shown in Fig. 4, fluid is introduced into said container
12
by first moving said plunger 14 in said second direction B whereby air is
forced from
said container 12 by said plunger 14 thereby creating a vacuum inside said
container 12.
Accordingly, when said outlet 22 is brought into contact with a fluid stored
in a container
such as a bucket 38, said fluid is introduced into said container 12.
Alternatively, said
container can be filled by pouring water into said outlet 22 from a tap.
As best shown in Fig. 5, said container is elevated by the user of the fluid
dispensing device toward an overhead plant 39, and said curved nozzle 20 is
pointed
downwardly over said overhead plant 39 and said plunger 14 is moved in said
direction
B and said fluid is then deflected by the interior surface of said curved
nozzle 20 to
evacuate said fluid downwardly through said outlet 22 and on to said overhead
plant 39.
Alternate means for evacuating said fluid downwardly through said outlet 22
other
than said curved nozzle 20 could include, for example, a deflecting wall
mounted inside
said container having a surface which is substantially the same as the cross-
section of
said container, wherein said deflecting wall deflects said fluid in the
direction of an outlet
disposed in the outer wall of said container.
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The fluid dispensing device described herein could be further provided with a
pointing means consisting, for example, of markings presented by the outer
surface of
said container opposite to said outlet 22 for ensuring that said fluid
dispensing device is
oriented so that said outlet 22 is pointing downwardly in relation to an
overhead plant.
The fluid dispensing device described herein could also include an outlet
sealing
cap 45, as shown in Fig. 3, for sealing outlet 22 to avoid spillage of fluid
from said
container 12 when the fluid dispensing device is being transported, or the
user of the
fluid dispensing device is interrupted in operation, for example, by a
telephone call.
Said container 12 is adaptable to present various means for measuring the
volume
of fluid disposed in said container 12 and, hence, presenting means for
dispensing a
desired volume of fluid on a plant. By way of example, such a volume indicator
could
be presented by said container 12 comprising a transparent material and
bearing markings
on the outer surface of said container 12 to track, in combination with said
transparent
container, the volume of said fluid. Alternatively, volume markings could be
placed on
said rod 24, in a manner well-known to those skilled in the art. As a further
alternative,
digital output means could be associated with water sensors disposed on the
inner surface
of the container 12, or position sensors associated with said rod 24, in a
manner well-
known to those skilled in the art.
The invention disclosed herein further provides means for preventing fluid
from
splashing back on to the user of the fluid dispensing device in operation by
deflecting
outwardly the fluid as it is forced from the fluid dispensing device. In a
second preferred
embodiment of the invention disclosed herein illustrated in Fig. 6, the fluid
dispensing
device further comprises a splash guard 42 presented by a trumpet member
disposed
adjacent to said outlet 22, said trumpet member 42 having a modified outlet
end 44 which
projects outwardly thereby dispersing fluid as it exits from said container.
In a third preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein shown in
Fig.
7, said modified outlet end further includes a straight edge 46 for preventing
said
modified outlet end from being caught on the top edge of an overhead plant
thereby
causing the container for an overhead plant to tip and spill water or soil.
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In the first, second and third preferred embodiments of the invention
disclosed
herein said container comprises one single member or two half members glued to
one
another. In a fourth preferred embodiment illustrated in Fig. 8, said
container 12
comprises two parts, namely a cylindrical member and curved member 41. The
outer
diameter of curved member 41 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of
cylindrical
member opening 33, therefore in assembling the fluid dispensing device said
curved
member 41 and cylindrical member are connected by friction fitting said curved
member
41 within said cylindrical member opening 33.
Said container 12 could also be adapted to have a cross-section which is other
than
circular, for example, one that is square, rectangular or triangular, in which
case all parts
of the fluid dispensing device which correspond in cross-section, namely end
cap 30, and
piston 26, would also be adapted to have such other cross-section.
By utilizing the device described herein it is not generally necessary for the
person
doing the watering to stand on any chair or stool to water an overhead plant.
Furthermore, the device carries water internally of the hollow cylinder and
presents a
device having a balanced load as the water is carried uniformly along the
length of the
hollow cylinder and is not too heavy when lifted overhead to water plants.
Moreover, the device uses a system of fluid displacement rather than
pressurization, thereby simplifying the production of the device. By making
the device
from clear plastic this allows the user a visual check to see how much water
is contained
in the hollow cylinder.
Also the device may be made from break resistant plastic, which is lightweight
so as to be able to be used by the elderly or infirm. Moreover, this device
can be hung
on a door or hook when not in use.
Various embodiments of the invention have now been described in detail. Since
changes in and/or additions to the above-described best mode may be made
without
departing from the nature, spirit or scope of the invention, the invention is
not to be
limited to said details.
