Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02280141 1999-08-12
Plastic Flower Box
The present invention relates to a plastic flower box
that can be hung on flower box holders, each of said holders
comprising a mounting bracket and a supporting strap connected
thereto.
Many kinds of plastic flower boxes are known. These are
mounted on the top rail of a balcony railing or a guard rail. The
number of flower box holders used for a plastic flower box will
depend on the length of the plastic flower box. Each mounting
bracket of a flower box holder fits over the top rail of a
balcony railing or a guard rail. The supporting strap fits around
the outside of the plastic flower box; however, its free arm
that is remote from the mounting bracket ends at a distance away
from the upper edge of the side wall of the flower box.
The flower box holder can also be fitted with a safety
bracket that is screwed to the supporting strap and the mounting
bracket.
In this long-familiar flower box holder, it is a
disadvantage that the flower box holder must first be attached to
the plastic flower box. To this end, the mounting bracket or, if
so required, the safety bracket and the supporting strap must be
positioned correctly on the plastic flower box and then screwed
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together. This work is particularly tiresome. In addition, it may
happen that the surface coating becomes damaged, so that the
effects of the weather can cause the supporting strap to rust.
It is the objective of the present invention to so
configure a plastic flower box of the kind described above in a
simple matter, such that the plastic flower box can be mounted on
a balcony railing, a guard rail, or the like in a much simpler
way.
This objective has been achieved in that the supporting
strap is embedded in at least one of the two side walls and in
the bottom, or is arranged so as to the adjacent to the innermost
sides. Since the supporting straps are thus joined securely to
the plastic flower box, the mounting hooks can be connected to
the supporting straps in a an extremely simple way, for example
by being screwed to them. Once this has been done, the plastic
flower box is ready to be installed.
Around their top edges, which are remote from the
bottom, plastic flower boxes usually have a continuous
reinforcing channels that is turned outward and open at the
bottom. Provision is then made such that each supporting strap
extends from one supporting channel on a long side, through the
two side walls and the bottom, to the other reinforcing channel
at the top of the other side wall, or else that the supporting
strap lies adjacent to the inside surfaces of the two side walls
and the bottom. Thus, the mounting bracket can be associated
with a reinforcing channel, or with the opposite supporting
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channel, as desired. It is advisable that the end areas of the
supporting strap be bent outward and reach right into the
reinforcing channel. This provides sufficient contact surface
for joining the mounting brackets to the supporting straps.
Then, it is particularly useful that the reinforcing channel
extend outward in the area of the metal supporting strap as
compared to the remaining areas, particularly if it does so in
curve. This further increases the amount of contact surface. In
order to ensure that the mounting bracket cannot turn or twist
when it is being joined to the supporting strap, guide bars are
moulded into the upper surface of the reinforcing channel, these
guide bars abutting against the sides of the mounting brackets.
A plastic flower box that is mounted, for example, on
the top rail of a balcony railing normally hangs at a slant
because the lower part of the plastic flower box rests against
the balusters or balcony facing. In order that the plastic
flower box hangs straight, i.e., in order to ensure that the
bottom is horizontal, or nearly so, provision is made such that
in the area of at least one supporting strap that is associated
with the bottom, there is at least one adjusting bracket. This
adjusting bracket can be displaced transversely to the plastic
flower box, so that precise alignment is possible. Since it can
happen that this adjusting bracket is between two balusters, in a
further development provision is made such that a pivotable tab
is arranged at the unattached end of the adjusting bracket. This
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tab is parallel to and at a distance from the associated side
wall.
The connection between the mounting bracket and, if so
required, the adjusting bracket, can be made in the simplest way
if threaded bores for screwing on the mounting bracket or the
adjusting bracket are provided in the area of the strap that is
associated with the bottom of the plastic flower box and in the
upper end area of the strap that is bent outward.
Frequently, plastic flower boxes are also made as so-
called water-reservoir boxes with an intermediate bottom.
Beneath this intermediate bottom there is a water reservoir. It
is then necessary, in particular in such a version, that the
threaded bores be sealed off. To this end, the bottom of the
plastic flower box with the threaded bores is provided with
recessed areas that cover the threaded bores of the supporting
strap. In addition, the protruding lengths of the screws also
extend into these recessed areas. In the case of a plastic
flower box in which the supporting straps are embedded in the
side walls and in the bottom, provision is made such that the
side walls and the bottom of the plastic flower box are made
thicker in the vicinity of the supporting strap, compared to the
other areas; and that the bottom is provided with outward-facing
projections that are matched to these thicker areas. If the
plastic flower box is in the form of a water-reservoir box,
provision is made such that at least one overflow outlet that is
open to the outside is moulded onto the bottom. Because of the
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integrated supporting strap, the whole height of this is used,
since it extends over the water area and the earth area.
The supporting strap should be of material that can
support sufficiently large loads, for example, steel or glass-
y fibre reinforced plastic. If it is of steel, stainless steel
should be used. One alternative that is possible is a composite
metal.
The present invention will be described in greater
detail below on the basis of the drawings appended hereto. These
drawings show the following:
Figure 1: a perspective drawing of a plastic flower box according
to the present invention;
Figure 2: a plastic flower box as in Figure 1, in cross section,
through an embedded metal supporting strap;
Figure 3: the plastic flower box as in Figure l, in cross
section, but showing only one end area.
The plastic flower box 10 shown in Figure 1 consists
essentially of the two side walls 11, 12, the two end walls 13,
14, and the bottom 15. These elements form the carcass of the
box.
In the embodiment shown, there is a continuous reinfor-
sing channel moulded onto the upper edge of the plastic flower
box, and this is open below, facing the bottom 16 of the plastic
flower box. As can be seen particularly clearly in Figure 2 and
Figure 3, this reinforcing channel is of U-shaped cross section.
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In addition, in the embodiment shown, the plastic
flower box 10 has three supporting straps 17 that are located
within the two side walls 11, 12 and the bottom 15. These
supporting straps 17 are bent outward in the areas of the upper
edges of the two side walls 11, 12, and consequently they extend
right into the reinforcing channel 16. These supporting straps
17 are completely enclosed by plastic material, so that they are
not exposed to the effects of the weather. The number of
supporting straps 17 integrated into the plastic flower box will
depend on the length of the box. The distance between the
individual supporting straps 17 is approximately twice the
distance between the outermost supporting straps and the end
walls 13, 14. In contrast to the embodiment shown, the
supporting straps 17 could also be arranged so as to be adjacent
to the inside surfaces of the side walls 11, 12 and the bottom
15. A mounting bracket 18 that is oriented outward is secured to
each supporting strap 17 by a screw. When the plastic flower box
10 is installed, these mounting brackets fit over the top rail of
a balcony railing, for example, or over a guard rail. An
adjusting bracket 21 is screwed to the area of the middle
supporting strap 17 that is associated with the bottom 15. This
adjusting bracket 21 can be moved transversely to the plastic
flower box 10 so that the flower box hangs straight. Since this
adjusting bracket 21 could be between two balusters, for example,
provision is made such that on the unattached bent-up arm there
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is a tab 22 that can be pivoted. This tab 22 can be so turned
that is rests against a baluster.
In can be seen, particularly from Figure 1, that guide
bars 23, 24 are moulded onto the upper surfaces of the
reinforcing channel 16 so as to be adjacent to the sides of the
mounting brackets 18, so that a particular mounting bracket 18
cannot turn or twist when the plastic flower box is being
installed.
As is show, in particular, in Figures 2 and 3, the
plastic flower box 10 that is shown is a water-reservoir flower
box that incorporates an intermediate bottom (not shown herein).
In order that water contained in the lower part of the plastic
flower box 10 cannot get into the areas where the adjusting
bracket 21 is screwed to the supporting strap 17, the bottom 15
incorporates two inward-facing recessed areas 19, so that the
threaded bores are covered. In addition, the projecting parts of
the screw used to join the supporting strap to the adjusting
bracket 21 fit into these recesses. In the area of the
supporting strap 17, the side walls 11, 12 and the bottom 15 are
made thicker as compared to the remaining elements. These
thicker areas are eliminated if--in contrast to the embodiment
shown--the supporting straps 17 rest against the inside surfaces
of the side walls 11, 12, and of the bottom 15. Since it is
usual to place a plastic flower box of this kind on a wall or a
floor, it would then be supported only in the areas of the
supporting straps 17. In order to provide additional support,
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the bottom 15 of the plastic flower box 10 is also provided with
additional projections 20 that face outward.
In order that the level of water within the plastic
flower box 10 is restricted, an overflow pipe that is open to the
outside is moulded onto the inside of the bottom 15. In order to
simplify the drawing, the plastic flower box 10 that is shown is
only provided with one mounting bracket 18. It is to be
understood that mounting brackets 18 are also attached to the two
outermost supporting straps 17, which cannot be seen in this
drawing. In addition, the plastic flower box 10 could also be
provided with two or three adjusting brackets. The supporting
straps 17 are of a material that can support the appropriate
loads, for example, metal or glass-reinforced plastic. If it is
of steel, it should be stainless steel. The same applies to the
mounting brackets 18 and the adjusting brackets 21.
The present invention is not confined to the
embodiments shown herein. The supporting straps 17 that can
withstand the appropriate loads and that are integrated into or
lie against the side walls 11, 12 and the bottom 15 are
critical; the outermost ends of these supporting straps are bent
inward or outward in order to permit the mounting brackets to be
screwed to them.
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