A method of supporting a plant pot and a spacer device for a plant pot

Abstract

Spacer device 1 can be a disc and has a circular spacer device hole 4 for holding a plant pot 7. The spacer device can be circular and can have drainage holes in it. The spacer 1 can be inclined towar

Description

The present invention relates to a method of supporting a plant pot and a spacer device for supporting or holding a plant pot. A plant may be in a pot or common pot or plant grow pot which may be designed to be functional, and the pot may have apertures or perforations in its base for drainage purposes. The pot may be placed in a larger pot which may be designed to be more decorative or designed to be aesthetically pleasing. Such a larger pot may be an ornamental pot or cachepot. Such ornamental pots or cachepots may not have drainage apertures. If a common pot containing a plant is placed therein, then if the plant is over-watered, the plant may become waterlogged as excess water would collect in the bottom of the ornamental pot or cachepot and cannot drain from there. It is therefore an object of the invention to improve on the known art. According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of supporting or suspending a first pot being a plant pot, comprising the steps of: providing a spacer device or support member having a spacer device opening; placing the first pot in the spacer device opening, the spacer device opening being larger than at least a base of the first pot; having the spacer device and a portion of the first pot engage; and placing the spacer device on a rim or top or upper rim or brim of a second pot which has a second pot opening which is larger than the spacer device opening, the rim being around the second pot opening, wherein the spacer device and the portion of the first pot engaging causes the first pot to be suspended relative to the second pot. The second pot may be an ornamental or decorative pot or a cachepot. The spacer device may be rigid. The spacer device may comprise an inflexible inelastic material. The spacer device may have sufficient rigidity to support the weight of a laden plant pot. The second pot opening may have a sufficient depth so that the base of the first pot is suspended in the second pot. The second pot opening may be at least as deep as the height of the first pot. By the spacer device suspending the bottom of the plant pot from the bottom of the second pot, space is provided for water to drain from the plant pot preventing the roots of the plant in the plant pot from becoming waterlogged. The step of having the spacer device engage the portion of the first pot engage may include lifting the spacer device so that the portion of the first pot engages the spacer device. The spacer device opening may have a diameter which is smaller than a diameter of the second pot opening. The spacer device opening may have a diameter which is larger than a diameter of the base of the first pot. The second pot may be substantially inverse frusto-conical or cylindrical or substantially cylindrical in shape. The spacer device may comprise a plate or an annular ring or a planar or substantially planar annular ring. A diameter of the pot opening at the top of the first pot may be at least as large or larger than a diameter of the base of the first pot. The first pot may have substantially a frusto-conical shape, the base of the first pot being the smallest diameter of the frusto-conical shape. The first pot may have substantially an inverse frusto-conical shape. The step of having the spacer device and a portion of the first pot engage may comprise a side or an outer surface of a side wall of the first pot engaging the spacer device. A circumferential edge of the spacer device opening may engage a side or an outer surface of a side wall of the first pot. The first pot may have at least one inclined side or at least one inclined side wall which is inclined inwards from the top of the first pot to the base. The step of having the spacer device and a portion of the first pot engage may comprise at least one said inclined side or an outer surface of at least one said inclined side wall of the first pot engage the spacer device. A perimeter edge of the spacer device opening may engage at least one said inclined side or an outer surface of at least one said inclined side wall of the first pot. The side wall may include a step or shoulder which may be annular and which the spacer device or a top or upper surface of the spacer device may engage. The first pot may have an upper outer flange. The upper outer flange may be annular. The step of having the spacer device and a portion of the first pot engage may comprise placing an underside of an upper outer flange of the first pot on top of the spacer device. The spacer device may have sufficient rigidity to support or brace the weight of a laden plant pot against the second pot. The method may include providing the spacer device with a first major side surface and an opposite or a substantially opposite second major side surface, the spacer device opening extending between the first and second major side surfaces. The method may include providing the spacer device with apertures or perforations which are separate from the spacer device opening, the apertures extending between the first and second major side surfaces. The apertures may provide ventilation gaps for root oxygenation of a plant in the first pot where the base of the first pot has apertures for drainage and ventilation. The apertures may enable overspill or excess water from watering the plant in the first pot to drain from the spacer device into the second pot. The method may include providing at least one of the first and second major side surfaces with an incline towards or to or a downward incline towards or to the spacer device opening, the inclined major side surface having a plurality of radial grooves or ribs. The radial groove or ribs may be radial to the spacer device opening. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a spacer device or support member having a first major side surface, an opposite or a substantially opposite second major side surface, and a spacer device opening extending between the first and second major side surfaces. The spacer device opening may be for receiving a plant pot. The spacer device opening may be circular. The spacer device may be planar or substantially planar. The spacer device may comprise a plate or an annular ring. The spacer device may extend outwardly from the spacer device opening by at least 20 mm. This enables a sufficient area to be provided to enable the spacer device to sit on a rim of an ornamental pot or cachepot. The diameter of the circular spacer opening may be of a range of 50 mm to 55 mm or 80 mm to 85 mm or 90 mm to 95 mm or 110 mm to 115 mm or 140 mm to 145 mm or 160 mm to 165 mm or 190 mm to 195 mm or 240 mm to 245 mm or 290 mm to 295 mm. These diameters correspond to standard plant pot sizes. At least one of the first and second major side surfaces may have an annular step. The spacer device may have an outer perimeter or perimetric edge. The outer perimetric edge may be have at least three sides. The spacer device may be square or polygonal in plan. The spacer device may be circular or substantially circular in plan. The outer perimeter edge of the spacer device may form a circumference. At least one of the first and second major side surfaces may have a grip surface or grip enhancing surface or textured grip surface. The grip surface prevents the spacer device from slipping when it is placed on a rim of an ornamental pot or cachepot. The grip surface may form a raised textured pattern. The grip surface may comprise ridges. The ridges may be sinusoidal. The grip surface may be etched or may have etched grooves. The spacer device may have apertures or perforations which are separate from the spacer device opening, the apertures extending between the first and second major side surfaces. The spacer device may comprise two equal or substantially equal portions or halves, each equal portion comprising half of the opening, the two equal spacer device portions being connected to each other by a mechanism for adjusting the distance between the two equal spacer device portions. This may be useful in fitting the spacer device to a plant pot. The mechanism for adjusting the distance between the two equal spacer device portions may comprises at least one pair of interengagable racks. One rack of the pair of interengagable racks may be part of one spacer device portion and the other rack of the pair may be part of the other spacer device portion. The mechanism for adjusting the distance between the two equal spacer device portions may comprise a ratchet or ring ratchet mechanism. The spacer device may include at least one protrusion or leg or tooth or securing element extending from one of the first and second major side surfaces and being adjacent at least one of an outer perimeter edge of the spacer device or a perimeter edge or inner perimetric edge of the spacer device opening. The at least one protrusion may be used to provide additional stability by engaging with an ornamental pot or cachepot. A perimeter edge of the spacer device opening may be rounded. A perimeter edge of the spacer device opening may comprise a lip. The spacer device may be transparent or translucent. The spacer device may have at least one light. There may be a plurality of lights spaced around the spacer device opening. At least one of the first and second major side surfaces may be inclined towards or to or inclined downwards towards or to the spacer device opening or the circular spacer device opening. The spacer device may form a funnel. The spacer device may be substantially funnel-shaped. The funnel or funnel shape may be shallow. The inclined major side surface may have a plurality of radial grooves or ribs. There may be a combination of the spacer device and a pot or the plant pot wherein the spacer device extends outwardly from or outwardly substantially from the rim or brim of the pot. Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective exploded view of a spacer device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention in between a plant pot and a cachepot; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the spacer device holding the plant pot in the cachepot; Figure 3 is a sectional view of the spacer device holding the plant pot in the cachepot; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified spacer device; Figures 5 and 6 are views of various types of spacer devices; Figures 7 and 8 are plan views of a lower major side surface of modified spacer devices; Figures 9 and 10 are cross-sectional and bottom views, respectively, of another modified spacer device; Figure 11 is a plan view of another modified spacer device; Figure 12 is a plan view of another modified spacer device; Figure 13 is a plan view of a spacer device in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention with the spacer device in a closed position; Figure 14 is a top perspective view of the spacer device of Figure 13 in an open position; Figure 15 is a sectional view taken along lines 15 - 15 on Figure 13; Figure 16 is a sectional view taken along lines 16 - 16 on Figure 14; Figure 17 is a perspective view of a combined spacer device and plant pot in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention above a cachepot; Figure 18 is a perspective sectional view of a spacer device in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 19 is a sectional view of the spacer device of Figure 18 holding the plant pot in the cachepot. Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings, a spacer device 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention has a first upper major side surface 2, an opposite second lower major side surface 3, and a circular spacer device opening 4 extending between the first and second major side surfaces 2, 3. The circular spacer device opening 4 is sized for receiving a plant pot. The spacer device 1 comprises a planar annular ring. In a specific example of a preferred embodiment, the radial distance between the circumferential edge 5 of the circular spacer device opening 4 and the outer circumferential edge 6 of the spacer device 1 is about 25 mm. The thickness of the spacer device 1 may be 3mm or 5mm. For small, medium and large standard size pots, the inner spacer diameter may be as below Inner spacer diameter Top diameter of standard pot size 6cm 50mm to 55mm 9cm 80mm to 85mm 10cm 90mm to 95 mm 12cm 110mm to 115mm 15cm 140mm to 145mm 17cm 160mm to 165mm 20cm 190mm to 195mm 25cm 240mm to 245mm 30cm 290mm to 295mm The ranges of inner spacer diameters are to meet slight variations in actual sizes of standard pot sizes. The spacer device 1 may be manufactured by being cut from, say, an acrylic sheet. The cutting may be done by laser. The acrylic sheet has good strength and stiffness and may not be impacted by sunlight. The spacer device 1 may also be manufactured using injection moulding or CNC machining and thermoforming. The spacer device 1 may be formed of plastic metal, rubber or composite materials. The spacer device 1 may be made to have any suitable colour. A simple card loop through which the annular ring of the spacer device 1 passes may be used to package the spacer device 1 for display and sales purposes. The minimalist packaging may include branding and use instructions. In use, a plant pot 7 is placed in the circular spacer opening 4 of the spacer device 1. The plant pot 7 is a conventional plant pot having an inverse substantially frusto-conical shape which has an annular step or shoulder 8 wherein the base 9 of the plant pot 7 has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the top of the inclined side wall 10 of the plant pot 7. The base 9 of the plant pot 7 has holes 11 for drainage and ventilation. The diameter of the spacer device opening 4 is larger than the diameter of the base 9 of the plant pot 7 and smaller than the diameter of the top of the inclined side wall 10 of the plant pot 7. The spacer device 1 is lifted up until the circumferential edge 5 of the spacer device opening 4 engages the inclined side wall 10 of the plant pot 7. The spacer device 1 is placed on a rim 12 of a cachepot 13 wherein the cachepot 13 has an inverse substantially frusto-conical shape and has a base 14. The spacer device 1 thus causes the plant pot 7 to be suspended relative to the cachepot 13, the cachepot opening 15 having a sufficient depth so that the base 9 of the plant pot 7 is suspended in the cachepot 13. Excess water from the plant pot 7 drains through the holes 11 in the base 9 of the plant pot 7 into the cachepot 13 below and away from the roots of the plant in the plant pot 7 preventing them from becoming waterlogged. The spacer device 1 with the plant pot 7 can be lifted off the cachepot 13 so that water collected in the cachepot 13 can be emptied. Referring to Figure 4, a modified spacer device 16 has a plurality of ridges 17 spaced radially around the circular spacer opening 18 on one of the major side surfaces 19. Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the spacer device may have alternative shapes such as a square, flower or polygon. Laser cutting the spacer device from sheet material enables any simple or more decorative shape to be cut. Referring to Figure 7, a modified spacer device 20 has its second lower major side surface as a grip surface 21 wherein the grip surface comprises sinusoidal ridges 22 spaced radially around the circular spacer opening 23. In another modified spacer device 24 (see Figure 8), the grip surface 25 is an etched surface. The spacer device 24 may have etched patterns which may be produced by laser cutting. Referring to Figures 9 and 10, another modified spacer device 26 has four legs 27 extending down from the second lower major side surface 28 wherein the legs 27 are equally spaced around and are adjacent the circumferential edge of the circular spacer device opening 29. The spacer device 26 may be placed so that the legs 27 extend into the cachepot opening 15 to secure the spacer device 26 to the cachepot 13. Referring to Figure 11, another modified spacer device 30 has a plurality of apertures or perforations 31 between the circular spacer opening 32 and the outer circumferential edge 33 of the spacer device 30 wherein the apertures 31 extend from the first upper major edge surface 34 to the second major side surface (not shown). Where the modified spacer device 30 suspends the plant pot 7 in the cachepot 13, the apertures 31 provide ventilation gaps for root oxygenation of a plant in the plant pot 7. Referring to Figure 12, another modified spacer device 35 has a plurality of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) 36 on the first upper major side surface 37 wherein the LEDs 36 are spaced around the circular spacer device opening 38. Referring to Figures 13 to 16, a spacer device 39 according to another embodiment of the invention comprises two equal portions 40, 41, each equal spacer device portion 40, 41 comprising half of the circular spacer device opening 42. The two equal spacer device portions 40, 41 are connected to each other by a mechanism 43 for adjusting the distance between the two equal spacer device portions 40, 41. The mechanism 43 for adjusting the distance between the two equal spacer device portions 40, 41 comprises two pairs of interengagable racks 44, 45. One rack 44 of each pair of interengagable racks is part of one spacer device portion 40 and the other rack 45 of the pair is part of the other spacer device portion 41. The two equal spacer device portions 40, 41 may be spaced apart in an open position before a plant pot 7 is placed between them. The two equal spacer device portions 40, 41 are then moved to be next to each other so as to be in a closed position and so that the spacer device 39 surrounds, and is secured to, the plant pot 7. The two equal spacer device portions 40, 41 may effectively interlock and the mechanism 43 may thus be an interlocking mechanism. Referring to Figure 17, a spacer device 46 according to another embodiment of the invention forms an outer annular flange extending from adjacent the rim of the plant pot 47. Referring to Figures 18 and 19, a spacer device 48 according to another embodiment of the invention has the first upper major side surface 49 inclined downwards to the circular spacer device opening 50. The inclined first major side surface 49 has a plurality of radial grooves 51 spaced around the circular spacer device opening 50 and extending to the circular spacer device opening 50. The inclined first major side surface 49 with the plurality of radial grooves 51 enables overspill or excess water from watering the plant in the plant pot 7 to drain towards the plant pot 7, the grooves 51 forming drainage channels. In a modification, the spacer device has a plurality of apertures or perforations similar to that shown in Figure 11 wherein the apertures extend between the first inclined major side surface and the second lower major side surface. Theses apertures enable overspill or excess water from watering the plant in the plant pot 7 to drain from the spacer device into the cachepot 13. Whilst particular embodiments have been described, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the 5 claimed invention.

Claims

1. A method of supporting a first pot being a plant pot, comprising the steps of:providing a spacer device having a spacer device opening;placing the first pot in the spacer device opening, the spacer device opening being larger than at least a base of the first pot;having the spacer device and a portion of the first pot engage; andplacing the spacer device on a rim of a second pot which has a second pot opening which is larger than the spacer device opening, wherein the spacer device and the portion of the first pot engaging causes the first pot to be suspended relative to the second pot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of having the spacer device and the portion of the first pot engage includes lifting the spacer device so that the portion of the first pot engages the spacer device.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the second pot opening has a sufficient depth so that the base of the first pot is suspended in the second pot.

4. The method of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the spacer device opening has a diameter which is larger than a diameter of the base of the first pot.

5. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the spacer device opening has a diameter which is smaller than a diameter of the second pot opening.

6. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the step of having the spacer device and a portion of the first pot engage comprises an outer surface of a side wall of the first pot engaging the spacer device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the circumferential edge of the spacer device opening engages an inclined outer surface of the first pot, a diameter of the top of the first pot being larger than a diameter of the base of the first pot.

8. The method of any preceding claim, including providing the spacer device with a first major side surface and a substantially opposite second major side surface, the spacer device opening extending between the first and second major side surfaces.

9. The method of claim 8, including providing the spacer device with apertures which are separate from the spacer device opening, the apertures extending between the first and second major side surfaces.

10. The method of claim 8 or 9, including providing one of the first and second major side surfaces with an incline towards the spacer opening, the inclined major side surface having a plurality of radial grooves or ribs11. A spacer device for a plant pot, the spacer device having a first major side surface, a substantially opposite second major side surface, and a circular spacer device opening extending between the first and second major side surfaces, the spacer device being substantially planar, and the spacer device opening having a diameter of at least 50 mm, the spacer device extending outwardly from the spacer device opening by at least 20 mm.

12. The spacer device of claim 11, wherein the diameter of the circular spacer opening is of a range of 50 mm to 55 mm or 80 mm to 85 mm or 90 mm to 95 mm or 110 mm to 115 mm or 140 mm to 145 mm or 160 mm to 165 mm or 190 mm to 195 mm or 240 mm to 245 mm or 290 mm to 295 mm.

13. The spacer device of claim 11 or 12, wherein at least one of the first and second major side surfaces has a grip enhancing surface.

14. The spacer device of claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein the spacer device has apertures which are separate from the spacer device opening, the apertures extending between the first and second major side surfaces.

15. The spacer device of any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the spacer device comprises two equal portions, each equal spacer device portion comprising half of the opening, the two equal spacer device portions being connected to each other by a mechanism for adjusting the distance between the two equal spacer device portions.

16. The spacer device of any one of claims 11 to 15, including at least one protrusion extending from one of the first and second major side surfaces and being adjacent at least one of an outer perimeter edge of the spacer device or a perimeter edge of the spacer device opening.

17. The spacer device of any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein at least one of the first and second major side surfaces is inclined towards the circular spacer opening.

18. The spacer device of claim 17, wherein the inclined major side surface has a plurality of radial grooves or ribs spaced radially around the circular spacer device opening.

19. The spacer device of any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the spacer device is circular in plan.

20. The spacer device of any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the spacer device has an outer perimeter comprising at least three linear sides in plan.

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