WATERING DEVICE FOR PLANT IRRIGATION

DISPOSITIF D'ASPERSION POUR IRRIGATION DES PLANTES

English Abstract

A plant watering device comprises a pair of water absorbent shells made from natural coconut husks. Cotton pads are placed between the shells for further water storage and slow persistent release. An amount of plant nutrient and water filtering carbon material is placed within the cotton pads for disbursement to the root system of a plant. The husks and cotton pads are stacked and wrapped in a mesh material. The device is buried in a planter in close proximity to a root system of a plant.

French Abstract

Un dispositif daspersion pour plantes comprend une paire de coquilles absorbant leau fabriquée à partir de coquilles de noix de coco naturelles. Des tampons de coton sont placés entre les coquilles pour davantage de stockage deau et la libération continue et lente. Une quantité de nutriment pour plantes et de matériau de carbone pour la filtration de leau est placée dans les tampons de coton pour distribution au système de racines dune plante. Les coquilles et les tampons de coton sont empilés et emballés dans un matériau maillé. Le dispositif est enfoui dans une jardinière à proximité immédiate dun système radiculaire dune plante.

Claims

CLAIMS
What is claimed is:
1. A plant watering device comprising a top water absorbing shell, a bottom
water
absorbing shell, a layer of water absorbing material disposed in a stacked
configuration between said top and said bottom shells, mesh material for
tightly
wrapping the top shell and bottom shell sandwiched together, and a fastener
for
fastening the mesh material around the top and bottom shells.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein said layer of water absorbing material
comprises a top
absorbing pad disposed beneath the top shell, a bottom absorbing pad disposed
above
the bottom shell and a central absorbing pad disposed between said bottom and
said
top absorbing pads.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein said central absorbing pad includes a
centrally disposed
annulus.
4. The device of claim 3 wherein a first predetermined amount of a nutrient
for feeding
plant roots is placed within said centrally disposed annulus.
5. The device of claim 4 wherein a second predetermined amount of filter
medium for
cleansing absorbed water is placed within the centrally disposed annulus.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein said mesh material is a metallic screen
material.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein the mesh material is a synthetic material.
8. The device of claim 7 wherein the synthetic mesh material is nylon.
9. The device of claim 1 wherein the first absorbing shell and the second
absorbing shell
are made from natural coconut husk fibers.
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10. The device of claim 1 wherein the layer of water absorbing material is
made from
natural cotton fiber.
11. The water device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said filter medium is
charcoal.
12. A method of assembling a plant watering device comprising the steps of:
a. Taking a circular flat piece of mesh material having a first diameter;
b. Taking a first coconut husk absorbing shell and placing it on said circular
piece of
mesh material wherein the diameter of said first coconut husk is less than
said first
diameter screen;
c. Placing a first cotton fiber pad on the surface of the first coconut husk;
d. Placing a first cotton fiber washer having an annulus on the surface of
said first
cotton fiber pad;
e. Placing a suitable first amount of nutrient material within said annulus;
f. Placing a suitable second amount of filter material within the annulus;
g. Placing a second cotton fiber pad on the surface of said first cotton fiber
washer;
h. Placing a second coconut husk absorbing shell over said second cotton fiber
pad;
i. Wrapping the circular flat piece of mesh material around the first and
second
coconut husks;
j. Securing the mesh material with a staple; and,
k. Affixing a brand label to the secured stacked material.
13. The method of claim 12 further including the step of soaking the assembled
device in
water.
14. The method of claim 13, further including the step of placing the soaked
device in
proximity to a plant root system.
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Description

CA 02678537 2009-09-15
NON-PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION OF
LINDA BRAUN
FOR
WATERING DEVICE FOR PLANT IRRIGATION
CROSS-REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of United States Provisional Patent
Application #61/097,387
"Watering Device for Plant Irrigation" filed in the USPTO on 09/16/2009.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of plant irrigation devices and more
particularly to a watering
device for plant irrigation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Household plants, particularly those that are kept indoors, are susceptible to
de-hydration. They
must be watered at frequent intervals. Low humidity indoor environments
promote the de-
hydration of plants and the soil they are rooted in. Plant death by de-
hydration can occur quickly
if the care-taker is not attentive. This creates additional costs for the care-
taker in having to
replace dead plants unnecessarily.
There are a number of devices available to keep plants hydrated. In one
example of prior art,
vermiculite or similar absorbent is mixed in with soil to maintain an
acceptable soil moisture
content. However, the vermiculite must be mixed in the soil and this creates
additional work and
can be messy. Another sample of the prior art is shown in US Patent
Application 2004/0025428
"Watering Device" by De Winter. This apparatus comprises a reservoir of water
and a soil probe
through which the water is fed to the soil. This apparatus is made of molded
plastic and has
plastic parts in the soil and above the soil. This makes this device obtrusive
and unnatural. The
need to fabricate molded parts from a suitable thermoplastic material makes
this device less than
environmentally benign.
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CA 02678537 2009-09-15
Therefore there is a need to be able to inexpensively and naturally hydrate
the root systems of
plants. It would also be beneficial to hydrate and provide a nutrient to the
plant at the same time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, I have provided a plant
watering device. My device
comprises a first outside absorbing shell, a second outside absorbing shell
and a suitable amount
of absorbing material sandwiched between the two outside absorbing shells. The
two outside
absorbing shells are for absorbing water. They act as a water reservoir to
slowly release water
back to the surrounding soil and to the adjacent plant roots. The two outside
shells are wrapped
in a mesh material. The absorbing material sandwiched between the two shells
includes a
predetermined amount of a nutrient for feeding plant roots. An amount of
filter medium for
cleansing absorbed water is also placed in the absorbing material. The shells
are made from
natural coconut husk fibers and the absorbing material is a natural cotton
bat.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DIAGRAMS
Fig. 1 is a top view of one embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 2 is a side view of one embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of one embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 4 is a view of the components of one embodiment of the invention prior to
assembly.
Fig. 5 is an assembly view of one embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 6 is a top view of a partially assembled invention prior to wrapping with
mesh.
Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a partially assembled invention prior
to wrapping with
mesh.
Fig. 8 illustrates one embodiment of the invention being wrapped with mesh.
Fig. 9 illustrates a top view of one embodiment of the invention with a label
tag.
Fig. 10 illustrates use of the invention in a plant pot.
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CA 02678537 2009-09-15
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to Fig. 1 there is shown one embodiment of my invention 10 which is
a watering
device for plant irrigation. The watering device 10 comprises a water
absorbent top shell 12 and
a water absorbent bottom shell 14. Sandwiched between the top 12 and bottom 14
shells is an
absorbent layer 15 suitable for carrying a plant nutrient and a water
filtration medium. The plant
watering device is wrapped in a mesh 20 that permits water to enter the device
when charging it
and to leave the device when it is discharging water into plant soil adjacent
to the root structure
of a plant (see Fig. 10). A suitable fastener 18, in this case, a staple, is
shown to hold the mesh in
an enclosing configuration and the constituent elements of the invention
together.
Referring to Fig. 2 there is shown a diagram of the invention 10 in side view.
The bottom shell
14 comprises a natural and organic absorbent material that has an inherent
resistance to decay in
moist and poorly oxygenated environments. In the preferred embodiment that
material is coconut
husk which is inexpensive and readily available. The coconut husk material is
readily formed
into top 12 and bottom 14 shells. As more fully explained below, these top and
bottom shells are
wrapped in the mesh fabric 20 and enclosed with a staple 18. Between the top
12 and bottom 14
shells is an absorbent lawyer 15 for holding time release fertilizers and
nutrients as well as water
filtration media.
Referring to Fig.3 there is illustrated a cross-sectional side view of
components of an assembled
sample of the invention 10 comprising a top shell 12, a bottom shell 14 and an
absorbent layer
15. The absorbent layer 15 comprises a top cotton pad 16 and a bottom cotton
pad 17. Not
shown is a centrally disposed cotton washer 19 the annulus of which contains
the nutrient
material and water filter media. The invention is wrapped with a mesh fabric
20 and then secured
with a staple 18.
Referring now to Fig. 4 there is shown in top view the constituent parts of
the invention. The
mesh fabric 20 is a synthetic fabric screen such as nylon or rust resistant
metal screen material as
might be used on a screen door. The mesh grade may be varied to suit the size
of the application.
Larger examples of the invention may have coarser mesh while small examples
may have a finer
mesh. To a certain degree, the mesh will determine the rate at which water
escapes the device.
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CA 02678537 2009-09-15
The top 12 and bottom 14 shells are made from coconut husks which are known
for their water
absorbent characteristics, resistance to rot and longevity. As well, the husks
are a purely natural
and organic material and their use underscores the environmentally benign
nature of my
invention. Elements 16, 17 and 19 are made from a suitable absorbent material.
In a preferred
embodiment, 16 and 17 are natural. cotton fiber pads. Element 19 is a cotton
pad with a centre
portion removed to form an annulus 21 in which the nutrient and filter
material are placed. The
absorbent nature of the cotton acts to store water in all three cotton
elements. The nutrient
material is dissolved within the annulus 21 and leaches its way through the
husk into the
surrounding soil where it is absorbed by the plant roots. The cotton fiber can
be purchased as
cotton wafers or as bats. The nutrient 30 can be any suitable water soluble
slow-release
fertilizing agent. The filter medium 32 is charcoal and is used to cleanse the
water as it is
released to the plant.
Referring to Fig. S. there is shown an assembly diagram of one embodiment of
the invention.
The dimensions of the items shown depend on the size of the device being
assembled. A circular
piece of mesh 20 is placed on a surface. Then the bottom shell 12 is placed in
the center of the
mesh. A first cotton pad 16 is placed in the centre of the bottom shell 12.
The cotton washer 19
is placed over the first cotton pad 16. Nutrient material 30 and charcoal
filter media 32 are
placed within the center of the cotton washer. A second cotton pad 17 is
placed over the nutrient
material and charcoal. The top shell 14 is placed upon the second cotton pad
17.
Referring to Fig. 6 prior to final assembly of the device, the top shell 14,
with the other
constituent parts stacked below it, is illustrated in the center of the mesh
material 20 awaiting
wrapping.
Figure 7 illustrates a partially assembled device in cross-section. The top 12
and bottom 14
coconut shells are disposed upon the mesh 20 awaiting wrapping. Placed between
the shells are
cotton fiber pads 16 and 17. Between them is cotton washer pad 19 (although it
is not illustrated
to avoid clutter in the diagram). The nutrient material 30 is illustrated as a
black dot and the filter
media 32 is illustrated as a white dot. It is to be understood that these two
materials are well
mixed within the device.
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Referring to Figure 8, in the wrapping of the invention, the flexible mesh
material is pulled tight
around the top 12 and bottom shells 14 and the mesh material is gathered at
the top of the device.
Referring to Figure 9, the mesh is secured with a staple 18, as illustrated in
Figure 1. A tag 40
may be fixed over the staple for placement of trade-marks or instructions for
use.
Referring to Figure 10, there is illustrated a plant 50 within a pot 54 shown
in cross-section. The
plant root structure 52 is buried in potting soil 56. The device 10 is first
soaked in water and
buried below the plant root structure 52 so that water and nutrients can
disburse into the soil close
to the roots. Preferably the device is near the bottom of the pot prior to
planting the plant. This
will keep the plant well hydrated and fed.
Although the description above contains much specificity, these should not be
construed as
limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of
some of the presently
preferred embodiments of this invention. Thus the scope of the invention
should be determined
by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
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Representative Drawing