Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING PLANTS ON NON-HORIZONTAL SURFACES
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
100021 This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C.
119(e) to U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 61/787,953, filed March 15, 2013, entitled
"Display
Apparatus for Maintaining Plants On a Non-Horizontal Surface and Related
Methods ", the
entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
100031 In most post industrial nations the majority of individuals
reside in cites, often in
apartments or small town houses, and may have limited access to gardens, the
countryside and
other green spaces. To address a consumer's wish to cultivate and live in the
presence of green
plants or other botanical elements even in space interior spaces, attempts
have been made to
develop vertical gardens or hydroponic walls, to allow a residential or
business consumer to
"bring the outdoors indoors."The current systems that exist to achieve the
function and aesthetic
of a vertical garden wall are by their very nature complex in the engineering
and componentry
and require a great deal of custom manufacturing and installation.
100041 In prior art vertical garden wall systems, the hydroponics,
and/or other accessories
and component parts are customized to the specificity and details of each
consumer's individual
installation. This is due to the fact that on the site of the desired
installation they all require
electrical and plumbing connections, hardline connections in most cases in
order to sustain life
in the vegetation. Most often these existing systems use a complex series of
fountain pumps,
punctured irrigation piping, nap fabric sacs and/or woven fibers to hold
moisture and allow for
growth of the vegetation and allot for the housing of vegetation roots.
Existing elements of
these technologies are not self-sustaining - one must interconnect the prior
art systems to
additional on site elements. In these current systems there is often a need
for continual
irrigation to be maintained to pump and recirculate fluids throughout the
system on a regular
basis. Depending on the size and extent of this irrigation with time, many
issues arise including
leaking valves and piping. The intricacies of irrigation in these walls tie
into the complexity of
installation, but ftirthermore, extend their detrimental impact by increasing
the need for
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continual maintenance and re-visitation of the internal mechanisms and the
irrigation's
constructed components.
100051 Depending on the particulars of any existing vertical garden
invention, these
maintenance requirements are uniquely challenged with their own maintenance
needs. The
health risks for interior spaces with installations of the existing systems
for hydroponic and/or
vertical garden walls also become a factor due to any irrigation leaks or
deficiencies in the
piping or nap fiber systems. Such irrigation can lead to accumulation of
standing water that is
not properly circulating throughout the system as well as damage from
irrigation that is leaking
from weak points in the piping or infrastructure. The circumstances that arise
from standing or
misaligned water flow in these systems can lead to the cultivation of mold and
bacteria among
other hazardous toxins and/or undesired insect infestation within the system's
makeup. When
this occurs in interior space, indoor air quality, (IA.(?) is affected and the
total volatile organic
compound (TVOC) loads are increased.
100061 Common in some of the vertical garden hydroponic inventions, is
the tendency for
the roots of the vegetation when not compartmentalized to interconnect with
one another. When
this occurs, if one element of the vegetation becomes ill with such illnesses
as dry-rot, it very
quickly can spread throughout a section or an entirety of the vertical garden
system installed.
Given the involvedness of how many of the systems receive vegetation and the
vegetation
roots, the recourse for removing deceased/ill plant life and replacing it with
new vegetation is
an extensive and elaborate one. This detriment to both the functionality and
aesthetical quality
of a living wall requires a monetary and labor intensive solution to rectify
it.
There is one invention that is an exception to the existing complexity of
engineered living
vertical garden hydroponic wall systems. However, though the same requirements
for electrical
and plumbing engineering are not necessary for this system in most cases, the
system fails to
obtain simplicity due to its own complexities that hold it within different
limitations. It has been
presented in a refrained format from the general consumer market. The
inaccessibility to the
market is a result of an extensive amount of required coordination from
wholesale distribution
partners that then must collaborate in sale with architects, designers, and/or
general
construction practitioners before reaching any potential end consumer. Given
the process of
construction and the legality of shop drawings and approved engineering
practices in all states,
often this product becomes subject to bid by multiple contractor and
subcontractor parties, even
further extending the complexity of the path from manufacturer to consumer.
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The intent of this system and its process is to offer full customization for
each consumer.
However, the level of customization is so far-reaching that it becomes the key
to its own
shortcomings and ultimately is the pitfall of the invention itself. An
excessive amount of
modularity in componentry means that every vertical garden wall must be custom
ordered,
processed, manufactured, received, and finally installed. There is a minimum
of sixteen and be
as many as twenty listed parts, in order to manufacture this system, and the
greater part of them
is customized per project. Site requirements must be evaluated with both
internal designers and
company representatives of this invention, and then certified installers
determined by the
inventing company's headquarters or distribution partners must be coordinated
with the
ultimate end consumer in order for the wall to be erected. This customized
nature makes it be
impossible for the general consumer market place to readily obtain this
invention. All systems
standing on the market today are a predetermined size upon manufacturing, or
customized in
manufacturing on a per customer basis. There are no set dimensioned, irrigated
modular living
wall systems available today that are of standing specific proportions that
also can be
expounded upon those predesigned proportions and dimensions by allotting for
seamless
integration of one modular unit into additional modular units with a continual
irrigation flow. It
is not currently possible for any existing invention of set proportions to be
expanded upon
while maintaining the same irrigation path system of the initial unit to a
further unit. Each unit
must stand alone in its full development and in its irrigated pathway. There
are no modular
vertical garden systems that allow for multiple modules to stack together in
either vertical or
horizontal position with a continual irrigation flow. Furthermore there are no
standing
inventions that allow for modular reconfiguration of the vertical garden's
dimensions and layout
while still enabling the use of existing units.
Reconfiguration that entails an expansion is also not possible with a whole
non-modular unit.
Currently, it is not possible to obtain the function and aesthetic of a
vertical garden in standard,
modular form with a modular irrigated pathway that simply interconnects module
to module,
thus giving freedom to the end consumer to have their own custom layout in
dimension,
Functionality, and design without the process of complicated customization and
installation.
100071 In view of the drawbacks of the current systems, it is clear
that there is a need in the
art for a display apparatus for the display, maintenance and/or cultivation of
plants and other
botanical elements on a non-horizontal surfaces that simplify the irrigation
process, requires a
minimum amount of components to facilitate its assembly and installation,
allows for
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reconfiguration flexibility and interface and expansion of additional
components.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Disclosed are apparatuses that can be used to create and
maintain vertical garden
on a non-horizontal surface. Advantageously, the apparatuses are modular
allowing for
adaptation of the dimension of the vertical garden to any space or personal
inclination. At its
most basic, the apparatus of the invention include a bracket to which one or
more planter
assemblies can be attached and, in some embodiments, a conduit connector,
which fluidly
connects the reservoirs of each of the planter assemblies. More specifically,
the invention
includes an apparatus that itself includes a bracket comprising a frame and at
least one
mounting fitting; a planter and a reservoir. The planter has a planter cavity
defined by a
proximal wall and a distal wall and at least one mounting fitting connected to
an outer face of
the proximal wall thereof. The cavity of the planter communicates with the
exterior of the
planter by a first opening disposed between the proximal and distal wall of
the planter. The
planter also includes a planter wick opening.
100091 The reservoir has a pooling portion defined by a bottom wall and at
least a
proximal wall and two lateral walls, the proximal wall of the reservoir having
at least one
mounting fitting connected to its outer face. The walls of the reservoir
define an inlet orifice
extending through a wall and an outlet orifice that extends through a wall,
neither of which abut
the bottom wall, the walls of the reservoir defining a wick opening
dimensioned to
accommodate a wick extending between the pooling portion of the reservoir and
the planter
cavity, for facilitating fluid transfer therebetween. The mounting fitting of
the bracket and the
mounting fitting of the planter are connectable to one another as are the
mounting fitting of the
bracket and the mounting fitting of the reservoir. The bracket and frame have
a conformation
such that when the bracket is opposed against the outer face, the mounting
fitting of the bracket
can be connected with the mounting fitting of the planter and the mounting
fitting of the
reservoir can be connected with the mounting fitting of the bracket.
[0010] When connected thusly, the planter and reservoir are
maintained in a
conformation in which the first opening of the planter is elevated above at
least a portion of the
cavity for facilitating maintenance of a planting medium within the cavity and
of a plant rooted
in the medium and extending through the first opening and the planter wick
opening of the
planter is elevated above at least the pooling portion of the reservoir, such
that liquid within the
reservoir may pool in the pooling portion, and the planter and reservoir are
attached to the
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frame in sufficiently close proximity to permit the wick to extend between the
pooling portion
and the cavity.
[0011] Related methods and kits are also contemplated within the scope
of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
100121 The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed
description of preferred
embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in
conjunction with the
appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is
shown in the
drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood,
however, that
the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities
shown. In the
drawings:
[0013] Fig. 1 is an exploded axonometric view of a first embodiment of
the invention
showing the component parts;
[0014] Fig. 2 is a cross section detail of the embodiment in Figure 1,
wherein the apparatus
is assembled and the section is taken along X-X;
[0015] Fig. 3, including Figs. 3A and 3B, is a view of the right side
endplate of the
embodiment of Figure 1;
[0016] Fig. 4, including Figs. 4A and 4B, shows cross section plan view
and a cross
sectional side view taken along xi-xiof the inside of the endplate of Fig. 3;
100171 Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the left side end plate of Fig. 1;
[0018] Fig. 6, including Figs. 6A and 6B, shows cross section plan view
and a cross
sectional side view taken along xi-xiof the inside of the endplate of Fig. 5;
[0019] Fig. 7 is a view of the planter in the embodiment of Fig. 1 of
the invention wherein
the planter wick openings are defined by the bottom wall of the planter;
embodiment of the
invention;
[0020] Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of the planter of Fig. 7 taken
along x2--x2 showing a
wick disposed within the wick opening;
[0021] Fig. 9 is view of the reservoir of the embodiment of the
invention of Fig. 1;
100221 Fig. 10 shows the bracket of the embodiment of the invention of
Fig. 1;
[0023] Fig. 11 is a side elevation detail illustrating a mechanism of
connection of the
reservoir or planter to the bracket of the embodiment of the invention of Fig.
1, wherein the
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mounting fittings of the bracket and the reservoir or planter are configured
to form a tongue-in-
groove joint when connected;
100241 Fig. 12, including Figs. 12A and 12B, is a side cross section
view of the liquid
connectors alone, illustrating the ability of the liquid conduits of a first
endplate to connect to
those of a second end plate, permitting continual passage of liquid from a
first reservoir to a
second reservoir;
100251 Fig. 13 is a cross section axonometric view illustrating the
fluid pathway created by
the liquid conduits between one complete assembly's end plate and an second
complete
assembly's end plate;
100261 Fig. 14 is a schematic view of the assembly depicting the liquid
flow pathway
through the apparatus of the embodiment of the invention of Fig. 1, beginning
at the top of the
right end plate liquid conduit into the first reservoir, continuing into a
liquid conduit of the
second reservoir, continuing back into the right end plate liquid conduit;
100271 Fig. 15 shows a schematic view of an exemplary connection of two
assemblies of
the invention arranged adjacent to one another and which are capable of
connecting in the
horizontal direction by fitting a male connector of the reservoir of the first
assembly to a female
connector of the second reservoir;
[0028] Fig. 16 shows a schematic view of an exemplary connection of two
assemblies of
the invention arranged one above the other and which are capable of being
connected in the
vertical direction via a male connector from the base of the right end plate
of the first assembly
to a female connector present in the right end plate of the second assembly;
100291 Fig. 17 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the
apparatus of the
invention;
100301 Fig. 18, which includes Figs. 18A and 18B, shows the planter
assembly of the
embodiment of Figure 17. Fig. 18A shows the assembly with the left side endcap
removed.
Fig. 18B illustrates a front view of the removed endcap.
[0031] Fig. 19 is a side view of the embodiment of the apparatus of the
invention of Fig. 17,
showing the interface of the planter, reservoir, and bracket;
[0032] Fig. 20 illustrates a portion of the liquid conduits of the
embodiment of the
apparatus of the invention of Fig, 17 carried in two left side endcaps;
100331 Fig. 21 shows a view of the bracket of the embodiment of the
apparatus of the
invention of Fig. 17;
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100341 Fig. 22 shows a view of the reservoir of the embodiment of the
apparatus of the
invention of Fig. 17;
100351 Fig. 23 shows a front view of the reservoir of Fig. 22;
100361 Fig. 24 shows a back view of the reservoir of Fig. 23;
[0037] Fig. 25 is a right side view of the reservoir of Fig. 23;
100381 Fig. 26 is a cross section view of the reservoir of Fig. 23
viewed from the left side;
100391 Fig. 27 is a view of the planter of the embodiment of the
invention of Fig. 17;
100401 Fig. 28 is a side view of the planter of Fig. 27;
[0041] Fig. 29 is a cross sectional view of the planter of Fig. 27,
showing the presence of
medium;
[0042] Fig. 30 is a side view of the embodiment of the assembly of the
apparatus of the
invention of Fig. 17, showing the interface of the planter, reservoir, and
wick;
[0043] Fig. 31 is a schematic representation of the reservoirs attached
to the liquid conduits
showing the flow path of liquid; and
100441 Figs. 32 and 33 illustrate various configurations of the apparatus
of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
100451 As used herein, words such as "inner", "outer,", "proximal",
"distal", "upper",
"lower,", "interior", "exterior," "right", "left" and words of similar import
are used to aid in
comprehension of the conjunction with the drawings attached hereto and to have
their ordinary
meaning when referring to directions in the drawings or relative space. They
are not intended to
be limiting. Likewise, the invention is described herein in preferred
embodiments, but it should
be understood from this disclosure that other embodiments are contemplated and
within the
scope of the appended claims.
100461 Described herein is a display apparatus for the maintenance,
cultivation and/or
display of plants on a non-horizontal surface. The apparatus may be which may
be termed an
indoor/outdoor vertical garden; it is a self-contained planting and irrigation
system that attaches
to an existing interior or exterior non-horizontal surface, such as a wall, to
permit growth of
vegetation on the surface for aesthetic or utilitarian reasons. The vertical
garden provides an
aesthetically pleasing decorative element, and may also function as a place to
grow small edible
vegetation (such as lettuces, spinaches, herbs, small peppers or tomato
plants, etc.). As used
herein, the term "plant" is used expansively and includes flowering plants,
gymnosperms,
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mono- and dicotyledenous plants, ferns, clubmosses, hornworts, liverworts,
mosses, lichens,
rhodophyta, Phaeophyceae, algae, kelps seaweeds, and fungi.
100471 It is contemplated that the apparatuses of the invention will be
provided to the
consumer in kits which contain all the elements necessary to prepare a single
planter assembly
and/or the apparatus of the invention in any of the various embodiments
described herein. The
consumer can obtain and assemble one or more of the kits depending on the
dimension so the
horizontal surface she wishes to cover.
100481 In a broad aspect, the invention includes at least one planter
assembly, which itself
comprises one reservoir and one planter (described in detail below). This
assembly can be
attached or affixed to a non-horizontal surface by any means (even as a "built
in"). In other
embodiments, a bracket that has both a frame and at least one mounting fitting
is added to the
assembly to form the apparatus of the invention. The planter assembly or
apparatus may be
installed alone, to create a full 'wall of garden' effect or other modular
elements can
incorporated into the display for aesthetic or utilitarian purposes. Examples
of other modular
elements include a desk or table element, a fish tank element, an element that
is a cage or tank
for small reptile, amphibian or mammal, an art display element, a shelf
element, an audio or
audiovisual element and the like.
The apparatus include a bracket. The bracket is capable of supporting at least
one
planter assembly (that is, at least one planter and one reservoir). In some
embodiments, the
bracket is a simple opened-centered frame (4-sided, 3-sided, or 2-sided)
bearing mounting
fittings. In other embodiments, the bracket may be in the form of a panel,
which may be planar
or exhibit non-uniform topography or it may be a frame supporting several
horizontally
oriented bars or rods to which the assembly or components of the assembly can
be mounted.
The bracket may include other elements, such as lateral extensions or lip or
shelf-like members
that that extend outwardly. Such elements may be decorative or may serve to
disguise any
pipes or water source or drain elements that may fed or drain the liquid
conduits. It is preferred
that the bracket can be detachably attached to the non-horizontal surface
(e.g., the wall) where
one wishes to hang the apparatus using one or more support fittings. In some
embodiments,
support fitting may include hooks, wires, nails, pegs, biasing connectors,
clips, staples, a hook-
and-loop fastener (VELCRO, snaps, loops, adhesives, and the like. In other
embodiments,
the bracket may be permanently affixed to the surface.
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100491 The bracket should include at least one mounting fitting, by
which is meant any
device or mechanism that permits attachment of at least the planter or the
reservoir to the
bracket. It may be preferred that the mounting fitting of the bracket taken
together with the
mounting fittings of the reservoir and/or the planter (discussed below) for a
tongue-and-groove
joint. In such embodiments, the 'groove' element may be present on the bracket
and the
'tongue' element on the planter or reservoir, or vice versa. In some
embodiments, the mounting
fitting may be, for example, a hook, a wire, a nail, a peg, a biasing
connector, a clip, a staple, a
hook-and-loop fastener (VELCRO.), a snap, a loop, and adhesive, and the like.
[0050] In the installation of the apparatus, the bracket is affixed to
the non-horizontal
surface. This surface is most likely and indoor or outdoor wall of a structure
or building.
However, any non-horizontal surface and the ground or floor is about 5 degrees
to about 179
degrees, with an ordinary household wall having an angle between it and the
floor measuring
about 90 degrees.
[0051] When the apparatus is assembled, the bracket supports at least
one planter assembly.
The planter assembly includes a planter that supports plant and its medium
(e.g., soil or
vermiculite). The planter has a cavity, which is defined at least by a
proximal wall and a distal
wall, the proximal wall being positioned adjacent to the bracket when the
apparatus is
assembled. In some embodiments, the planter may also have one or more lateral
walls, and/or a
bottom wall. The wall(s) of the planter may independently be of any material
known or to be
developed in the art. Preferred may be plastics, wood, fiberglass, metal,
ceramic, or Styrofoam.
In some embodiments, at least one of the walls is a mesh or netting or a
similar loosely woven
textile.
[0052] The planter has an opening for insertion, care and viewing of the
plant. The opening
communicates with the cavity on one side and the exterior environment on the
other. it is
preferred that the opening is sited substantially above the cavity or at least
a portion of the
cavity to facilitate maintenance of the medium and or the plant.
[0053] A mounting fitting that is connectable to the mounting fitting of
the selected bracket
may be included on the planter. It may be preferred that the mounting fitting
is located on the
outer face of the proximal wall of the planter. In some embodiments, a
mounting fitting is not
included on the planter, but the planter assembled is mounted on the bracket
by use of a
mounting fitting that is present on the reservoir (discussed below) or vice
versa.
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100541 it may be desirable that the planter include an opening through
which a wick can be
extended ("wick opening"). One or more such openings may be present in a
planter. The wick
opening may be present in any portion of the planter, as long as it is sited
at a position that is to
be below the top surface of any medium placed in the planters. In some
embodiments, the wick
opening in present in (defined by), e.g., the bottom wall or the proximal
wall.
100551 The wick opening may be of any dimension as long as it is
dimensioned to permit
traversal of a wick trough it. One may prefer that the dimension of the
opening is slightly
larger than the dimension of the wick to ensure a "good fit" and minimize the
chance that the
wick will fall into the reservoir. Alternatively, the wick opening may be
significantly larger
than the wick (for example, simply defined by the walls of the planter,
essentially a
"bottomless" planter) and the wick may be secured by wires, cords, pins, mesh,
etc.
100561 The planter, its opening, and the cavity may be of any desired
dimension and will
vary depending on the size of the overall apparatus and/or installation site.
In some
embodiments the planter has a trough-like configuration with a proximal wall,
a distal wall, and
two lateral wall therebetween to define the cavity. In this embodiment, the
wick opening may
be defined by the bottom wall or the proximal wall.
100571 The planter assembly also includes a reservoir. The reservoir
includes a pooling
portion that is defmed by the reservoir's bottom wall. The reservoir also may
include a
proximal wall, a distal wall and/or one or more lateral walls. The reservoir
also may include a
mounting fitting; those disclosed as suitable for the planter are also
suitable for the reservoir. In
an embodiment, the mounting fitting is sited on the outer face of the proximal
wall.
100581 The walls of the reservoir define and inlet orifice and an
outlet orifice. It may be
preferred that the inlet orifice and/or the outlet orifice are independently
defined by a lateral
wall. In some embodiments, it is preferred that neither of the orifices abut
the bottom wall. In
some embodiments, it may be desirable that one or more of the inlet or the
outlet orifices
includes a conduit connecter that extends from the reservoir and is fluidly
connected to the
orifice, and which is connectable to a fluid connecter (discussed below).
100591 In an embodiment, the reservoir has a generally elongated cubical
conformation that
includes a proximal wall, two lateral walls, and a distal wall disposed about
a generally
rectangular bottom wall. One of the lateral walls may gave an inlet orifice
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therethrough and the other lateral wall may have the outlet orifice extending
therethrough. In
such conformation, the inlet and outlet orifices are positioned substantially
at the lateral ends of
the apparatus.
100601 The reservoir includes a fluid conduit which serves to deposit
water in and remove
water from the pooling portion of the reservoir. An end of the fluid conduit
is fluidly connected
to the inlet orifice and a second end of the fluid conduit is connected to the
outlet orifice. Such
connection, in some embodiments, is effectuated by use of conduit connectors.
In alternative
embodiments, the fluid connectors have openings that are disposed in the walls
of the reservoir,
for example, in the lateral walls. The fluid conduit may have openings, holes,
valves, etc.
which permit the drainage or adding of water to the system. In some
embodiments, the inlet
orifice is connected to a first fluid conduit and the outlet orifice is
connected to a second fluid
conduit. In such embodiment, the free end of the first conduit can be attached
to, for example,
a water source (either plumbed in or a receiving port for manual application
of water). The free
end of the second conduit may be attached to, for example, a drain or drainage
container.
100611 The walls of the planter and/or of the reservoir need not be
parallel to one another.
For example, in some embodiment, it is preferable that the distal wall of the
planter is not
parallel to the proximal wall. This permits better display of the plant in the
planter, and allows
the plant vegetation to cascade downwardly and disguise, at least in part, the
distal wall of the
reservoir to create the aesthetic of an uninterrupted wall of foliage.
100621 In some embodiments, the reservoir and the planter are dimensioned
to engage or
'nest together' and may include an interlock that permits secure but
detachable engagement of
the planter and the reservoir. The interlock may be preferably on the outer
face of the distal
wall of the reservoir.
100631 The apparatus is assembled by connecting the mounting fitting of
the planter and/or
reservoir (or both) to a mounting fitting of the bracket. Mounting fittings
selected for the
bracket and the reservoir or the bracket and the planter should be selected to
correspond and be
connectable to one another. In an embodiment, the bracket has a conformation
such that the
when the bracket is opposed against the out face of the proximal wall of the
reservoir and/or the
planter, the mounting fitting of the reservoir and/or planter can be connected
with the mounting
fitting of the bracket. In such conformation, the planter and reservoir are
maintained in relative
spatial positions such that the opening of the planter is elevated above at
least a portion of the
cavity. The wick is placed in the wick opening and extends from the cavity to
the pooling
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portion of the reservoir. The wick opening is preferably elevated above at
least the pooling
portion of the reservoir (or at least part of the pooling portion), such that
liquid within the such
that liquid within the reservoir may pool in the pooling portion, and the
planter and reservoir
are attached to the frame in sufficiently close proximity to permit the wick
to extend between
the pooling portion and the cavity.
100641 The wick can be chosen from any material that is able to transfer
liquid from the
pooling portion of the reservoir to the medium present in the cavity via
capillary action.
Materials can include, for example, cotton, linen, peat moss, plant fibers,
paper, cardboard,
uncoated/unglazed ceramic or porcelain, synthetic wicks, textiles, and the
like.
100651 in some embodiments, the apparatus includes two or more planter
assemblies. In
such embodiments, the assemblies may each be affixable to their own,
individual brackets or
one bracket may be dimensioned so as to permit affixation of one or more
planter assemblies.
When one or more planter assemblies are installed adjacent to one another, the
outlet orifice of
the first assembly and the inlet orifice of the second assembly are fluidly
connected to one
another. Such connection may be direct or indirect (for example, with an
intervening pipe or
conduit). Only the inlet orifice of the first assembly and the outlet orifice
of the second (or
terminal) assembly are connected to the fluid conduit(s). In such
configuration, water can flow
through the fluid conduit, into a the pooling portion of the first assembly,
then to the pooling
portion of the second assembly and egress via the outlet orifice of the second
assembly into the
fluid conduit.
100661 In some embodiments, the first assembly is sited above the second
assembly. In
such configuration the water source (plumbed in or manual) is generally above
or at the top of
the first assembly so water movement can be effectuated through the apparatus
at least partially
by gravity. In this embodiment, at least one end of a first fluid connector is
connected to the
outlet orifice of the first reservoir and the second end is connected to the
inlet orifice of the
second reservoir. Water that is deposited in the pooling portion of the first
reservoir (either
directly or via the inlet orifice) flows out the outlets orifice, downward
through the liquid
conduit and into the inlet orifice of the second reservoir.
100671 In either scenario, the conduits, which may be considered
unsightly, may be carried
in endplates, so that once the fluid connectors are connected to the orifice,
all that can be seen is
the decorative surface of the endplates. Alternatively, the exterior of the
conduit(s) themselves
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may be decorated and left in view, if, for example, a "Centre Pompidou" or
industrial loft-like
aesthetic is preferred.
[0068] Thus, a vertical garden can be formed by connecting several
assemblies adjacently
and several more vertically. It may be preferred that several assemblies are
arranged in, for
example, a 3 x 3 or 4 x 4 configuration, for an average-sized dwelling or
office.
[0069] The Figures 1-33 are provided to illustrate two exemplary
embodiments of the
invention and configurations of the same. With reference generally to Figures
1-16, an
embodiment of the apparatus 100 is shown that includes (a) a bracket 102; (b)
two planter
assemblies 104', 104", each including a reservoir 126, and a planter 108; and
(c) liquid
conduits. In Fig. 1 theses element are shown together in an exploded view and
the remaining
Figs. 2-16 shown these elements in greater detail. As can be seen, in this
embodiment, a single
bracket 102 that consists of a frame 110 and several mounting fittings 112 has
been
dimensioned to support at least two assemblies 104', 104", each of which also
includes
mounting fittings 120 and 106. In this embodiment, the mounting fittings 112,
102, 106 of the
frame 110 and of the reservoir 126 and planter 108 together form a tongue-and-
groove joint. In
this instance, the 'grooves' are on the front face 107 of the bracket 102 and
the "tongues" are on
the reservoir 126 and planters 108.
[0070] Each of the planters 108 includes a proximal wall 116 with an
outer surface 122, a
distal wall 118 with an outer surface, two lateral walls 122a, 122b and a
bottom wall 119.
These walls define a cavity 114, in which medium and plants 148 are be
disposed. The cavity
114 communicates with the exterior of the planter 108 via an opening 142
defined, in this
example, by the proximal 116, lateral 122, and distal 118 walls of the planter
108.
100711 Five wick openings 125 are defined by the bottom wall of the
reservoir, through
which a wick 144 is extended to the pooling portion 128 of the reservoir.
[0072] The reservoir 126 has a bottom wall 130 that defines a pooling
portion 128 where
water dwells to be available to the wick 144. In the embodiment shown, the
reservoir 126 has a
proximal wall 132 with an outer face 136, a distal wall 133 with a distal face
14, and lateral
walls 134a, 134b. An inlet orifice 138 is present in the first lateral wall
134a, and an outlet
orifice 140 is present in the second lateral wall 134b. Referencing the
figures, the inlet orifice
138 of the uppermost assembly connects (via a conduit connector 139) to a
first liquid conduit
152a having a free end 166 that may be used to supply water to the apparatus.
The outlet
orifice of the uppermost reservoir is connectable to a second liquid conduit
152b at its first end.
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The second end of this liquid conduit is connectable to the inlet orifice of
the bottommost
reservoir. The outlet orifice of the bottommost reservoir is connectable to a
third liquid conduit
which has a free end 164, which may permit drainage of the water in the
system. Each of the
liquid conduits in carried in or on one of the end plates 158a, 158b.
[0073] Figures 17-33 represent an alternative embodiment of the apparatus
of the invention.
In the attentive embodiment, the bracket is composed of a frame (not visible)
from which shelf
like extensions 168a, 168b extend outwardly. These extensions are the mounting
fittings of the
bracket, as they correspond to mounting fittings in the form of tabs and
brackets that are present
on the reservoir and planter.
100741 The planter(s) 108 of this embodiment include a proximal wall 116
with an outer
surface 122, a distal wall 118 with an outer surface, two lateral walls 122a,
122b, but no bottom
wall. The walls define a cavity 114, in which medium and plants 148 are
disposed. The cavity
114 communicates with the exterior of the planter 108 via an opening 142
defined by the
proximal 116, lateral 122, and distal 118 walls of the planter 108.
[0075] Three wick openings 125 are defined by the proximal wall of the
reservoir, through
which a wick 144 is extended to the pooling portion 128 of the reservoir(s).
100761 The reservoir 126 has a bottom wall 130 that defines a pooling
portion 128 where
water dwells to be available to the wick 144. In the embodiment shown, the
reservoir 126 has a
proximal wall 132 with an outer face 136, a distal wall 133 with a distal face
14, and lateral
walls 134a, 134b. An inlet orifice 138 is present in the first lateral wall
134a, and an outlet
orifice 140 is present in the second lateral wall 134b.
[0077] The reservoir 126 has a bottom wall 130 that defines a pooling
portion 128 where
water dwells to be available to the wick 144. In the embodiment shown, the
reservoir 126 has a
proximal wall 132 with an outer face 136, a distal wall 133 with a distal face
14, and lateral
walls 134a, 134b. An inlet orifice 138 is present in the first lateral wall
134a, and an outlet
orifice 140 is present in the second lateral wall 134b.
[0078] Referencing Fig. 18 where two, vertically arranged assemblies are
shown, the outlet
orifice of the uppermost assembly connects to a first liquid conduit at its
first end and the inlet
orifice of the lowermost reservoir connects to a second liquid conduit at its
first end. The
second ends of each of the conduits connect to one another. Each of the liquid
conduits is
carried in or on one of the end plates 158a, 158b.
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100791 It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes
could be made to the
embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept
thereof. It is
understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular
embodiments disclosed,
but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the
present invention as
defined by the appended claims.
