U.S. patent application number 11/453774 was filed with the patent office on 2006-12-28 for plastic pot hanger and mould for manufacture thereof.
Invention is credited to Hendrik De Jong, Maarten Jacob Wilschut.
Application Number | 20060289711 11/453774 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36992696 |
Filed Date | 2006-12-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060289711 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wilschut; Maarten Jacob ; et
al. |
December 28, 2006 |
Plastic pot hanger and mould for manufacture thereof
Abstract
A plastic pot hanger includes a support edge which has an upper
edge lying in one plane and a number of elongate carrying members.
Each carrying member is connected to the support edge by a
deformable connection close to the upper edge and is pivotable
between a rest position, wherein it lies at least practically in
the plane of the upper edge, and a carrying position folded up out
of this plane and wherein the support edge and the carrying members
are formed integrally by injection moulding. Further, a mould is
disclosed for manufacturing a plastic pot hanger. The mould
includes a mould cavity for forming the support edge, wherein the
part of the mould cavity forming the upper edge of the support edge
and the mould cavity for the at least one carrying member are
situated on a separating surface of the mould, which is a single
mould.
Inventors: |
Wilschut; Maarten Jacob;
(US) ; De Jong; Hendrik; (US) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HARNESS, DICKEY & PIERCE, P.L.C.
P.O. BOX 8910
RESTON
VA
20195
US
|
Family ID: |
36992696 |
Appl. No.: |
11/453774 |
Filed: |
June 16, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/309.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 7/047 20130101;
B65D 25/325 20130101; B65D 1/24 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/309.1 |
International
Class: |
A47F 5/00 20060101
A47F005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 21, 2005 |
NL |
1029305 |
Aug 2, 2005 |
NL |
1029661 |
Claims
1. Plastic pot hanger, comprising: a support edge, including an
upper edge lying in one plane and including a number of elongate
carrying members, each carrying member being connected to the
support edge by a deformable connection close to the upper edge and
being pivotable between a rest position, each carrying member lying
at least practically in the plane of the upper edge, wherein a
carrying position folded up out of this plane and wherein the
support edge and the carrying members are formed integrally by
injection moulding.
2. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deformable
connections are film hinges.
3. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 2, wherein the film
hinges are formed in each case between a protrusion on the upper
edge and an end of a carrying member.
4. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deformable
connections are pin-like elements.
5. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein at the
position of the hinge connection, arresting members are formed to
arrest the carrying member in at least the carrying position or the
rest position.
6. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 5, wherein the deformable
connections are pin-like elements, wherein the arresting members
are formed by a pair of wall parts on the support edge which lie on
either side of the pin-like element and a pair of wall parts on the
carrying member which lie on either side of the pin-like element,
and wherein the wall parts of the one pair fall inside the wall
parts of the other pair and have a width substantially equal to the
distance between the wall parts of the other pair.
7. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrying
members are mutually connected at their end not connected to the
support edge.
8. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 7, wherein the mutually
connected ends are connected to a hook member.
9. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one
of the elongate carrying members is connected by a hinge
connection.
10. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one
of the elongate carrying members is provided at an intermediate
position with a hinge.
11. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support
edge forms part of a pot.
12. Mould for manufacturing a plastic pot hanger as claimed in
claim 1, comprising: a mould cavity for forming the support edge,
wherein the part of the mould cavity forming the upper edge of the
support edge and the mould cavity for the at least one carrying
member are situated on a separating surface of the mould, which is
a single mould.
13. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least one
of the elongate carrying members is connected by a hinge
connection.
14. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least one
of the elongate carrying members is provided at an intermediate
position with a hinge.
15. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 9, wherein at least one
of the elongate carrying members is provided at an intermediate
position with a hinge.
16. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 2, wherein at the
position of the hinge connection, arresting members are formed to
arrest the carrying member in at least the carrying position or the
rest position.
17. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 16, wherein the
deformable connections are pin-like elements, wherein the arresting
members are formed by a pair of wall parts on the support edge
which lie on either side of the pin-like element and a pair of wall
parts on the carrying member which lie on either side of the
pin-like element, and wherein the wall parts of the one pair fall
inside the wall parts of the other pair and have a width
substantially equal to the distance between the wall parts of the
other pair.
18. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 2, wherein the carrying
members are mutually connected at their end not connected to the
support edge.
19. Plastic pot hanger as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support
edge forms part of a pot.
20. Mould for manufacturing a plastic pot hanger as claimed in
claim 2, comprising: a mould cavity for forming the support edge,
wherein the part of the mould cavity forming the upper edge of the
support edge and the mould cavity for the at least one carrying
member are situated on a separating surface of the mould, which is
a single mould.
Description
[0001] The present application hereby claims priority under 35
U.S.C. .sctn.119 on Dutch patent application numbers NL 1029305
filed Jun. 21, 2005 and NL 1029661 filed Aug. 2, 2005, the entire
contents of each of which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference.
FIELD
[0002] The invention generally relates to a plastic pot hanger
which comprises a number of elongate carrying members which can be
connected to a pot in order to enable hanging of this pot.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Pot hangers are used in large numbers in horticulture. A
plant which is planted in a pot provided with such a pot hanger can
be hung at a desired position.
[0004] Arranging pot hangers on pots is difficult and
time-consuming work. The object of the invention is to provide a
plastic pot hanger of the above specified type which does not have
these drawbacks.
SUMMARY
[0005] Because the carrying members are formed integrally with the
support edge in at least one embodiment of the invention, the
carrying members do not have to be attached one by one. The pot can
simply be placed in the support edge while the carrying members are
in the rest position. The carrying members can then be folded up
out of the plane of the upper edge of the support edge and into the
carrying position, whereafter the pot with pot hanger is ready for
further use. Arranging of the pot hanger in this manner can take
place both when the pot has yet to be provided with a plant or when
this has already taken place.
[0006] Because the carrying members lie in the plane of the upper
edge of the support edge they do not impede potting.
[0007] The deformable connections can be formed in suitable manner
by per se known film hinges. The measure of claim 3 is preferably
applied here.
[0008] According to a further suitable development of at least one
embodiment, the deformable connections are embodied as pin-like
elements. When the carrying members are folded up out of the rest
position into the carrying position, the pin-like elements twist
about a longitudinal axis.
[0009] The measure of at least one embodiment may be applied in
suitable manner. The carrying members hereby remain properly fixed
in both their rest position and in their folded-up carrying
position. It is favourable when the carrying members remain
arrested in a rest position, since they then with certainty do not
impede the potting. It is moreover favourable when the carrying
members remain in arrested manner in the folded-up position, since
this prevents the carrying members automatically moving back
gradually from the folded-up position to the rest position due to
elastic phenomena in the material.
[0010] The carrying members are preferably mutually connected at
their end not connected to the support edge. Folding up of the
carrying members from a rest position into the carrying position
can then take place in simple manner by gripping the mutually
connected ends of the carrying arms and pulling them upward.
[0011] The pot with pot hanger can then be hung up using the
hook.
[0012] In order to achieve a smooth progression of movement of the
carrying members from the rest position into the folded-up carrying
position, at least one of the elongate carrying members in at least
one embodiment is preferably connected to the other carrying
members or the hook member by a hinge connection. This furthermore
ensures that, in the folded-up carrying position, the carrying
members extend, to a considerable extent, straight from the upper
edge up to the mutually connected end.
[0013] In the case that the free ends of the carrying members are
connected to each other or to a hook member, at least one of the
carrying members will be bent quite strongly in rest position. In
order to ensure a good movement from the rest position to the
carrying position and to ensure that the carrying members extend
substantially straight in the carrying position, the measure of at
least one embodiment is preferably further applied.
[0014] In a suitable embodiment of the pot hanger according to the
invention the shape of the support edge is adapted to the shape of
the top side of a pot to be accommodated, and the pot to be
accommodated can rest in the support edge.
[0015] According to a further development however, it is also
possible that the support edge forms part of a pot, and that the
pot carrier is thus formed integrally with the associated pot by
injection moulding.
[0016] At least one embodiment of the invention also relates to and
provides a mould for manufacturing a plastic pot hanger as
according to any of the embodiments as specified above. Such a
mould comprises a mould cavity for forming the support edge,
wherein the part of the mould cavity forming the upper edge of the
support edge and the mould cavity for the at least one carrying
member are situated on a separating surface of the mould, which is
a single mould.
[0017] The manufacturing costs of the mould are hereby relatively
limited. The carrying members and the hinged connections with which
they are connected to the support edge can be formed in the
separating surface of the mould.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] Embodiments of the invention will be further elucidated in
the following description of example embodiments with reference to
the accompanying figures.
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a pot hanger according to
a first embodiment of the invention.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows the pot hanger of FIG. 1, wherein the carrying
members are in the rest position.
[0021] FIG. 3 shows a hinge connection at an intermediate position
in one of the carrying members.
[0022] FIG. 4 shows a view according to arrow IV in FIG. 2.
[0023] FIGS. 5a and 5b show the hinged connection V in FIG. 1 in
respectively the rest position and the folded-up position of the
associated carrying member.
[0024] FIG. 6 shows a detail view according to VI in FIG. 1.
[0025] FIG. 7 shows a detail view according to arrow VII in FIG.
1.
[0026] FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the pot hanger according
to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
[0027] The pot hanger 1 according to an embodiment of the invention
shown in FIG. 1 comprises a support edge 2 in which a pot for
carrying can be hung. Support edge 2 is provided with a number of
elongate carrying members 3, 4, 5, which are each connected to this
support edge 2 by way of a pivotable connection 10.
[0028] For reasons to be described further the carrying member 5 is
provided halfway along its length with a hinge 8, whereby parts 6,
7 of carrying member 5 can pivot relative to each other.
[0029] The free ends of carrying members 3-5 are connected to each
other and to a hook member 11.
[0030] Pot hanger 1 is shown in FIG. 1 in a situation wherein
carrying members 3-5 are in a folded-up carrying position. For this
purpose carrying members 3-5 are pivoted upward relative to the
situation as shown in FIG. 2, wherein the ends of the carrying
members connected to support edge 2 are rotated relative to support
edge 2 at the position of hinges 10.
[0031] The situation as shown in FIG. 2 is referred to as the rest
position of carrying members 3-5. The carrying members herein lie
in the plane of the upper edge of carrying member 2 so that they do
not obstruct access to the inner space of support edge 2. In this
situation a pot can be readily placed in support edge 2 and plants
can be potted in the pot without hindrance from the carrying
members. As soon as this has taken place, the pot hanger can be
brought into the situation shown in FIG. 1 by pulling the hook
member 11 upward. Carrying members 3-5 herein pivot about their
respective hinges 10.
[0032] The situation as shown in FIG. 2 is that in which pot hanger
1 is formed in a mould. It will be apparent that all components of
pot hanger 1 shown here lie practically in one surface, at least
can be injected from one surface, the separating surface of the
mould. Pot hanger 1 according to the invention can thus be formed
integrally by injection moulding.
[0033] Hinge 8 is arranged in carrying member 5 in order to
facilitate folding-out of this carrying member 5 and in order to
ensure that carrying member 5 is relatively straight in the
carrying position as shown in FIG. 1. It is thus necessary to
injection mould at least one of the carrying members, in this case
carrying member 5, in the folded-up form as shown in FIG. 2.
[0034] Hinge 8 can be embodied in the manner as shown in FIGS. 1
and 2, and more particularly in FIG. 6, but can also be embodied as
a simple film hinge 15, as shown in FIG. 3. Hinge 8 is however
recommended because it provides the option of arresting the parts
6, 7 of carrying member 5 mutually in line.
[0035] In the example embodiment shown here, carrying member 3 is
also connected to hook member 11 by way of a hinged connection 16.
The mould cavity corresponding with FIG. 2 is designed such that
hook member 11 lies closely against support edge 2, wherein
carrying member 4 and part 7 of carrying member 5 are
simultaneously connected in a straight line to the bottom end of
hook 11. A hinged connection 16 is applied to ensure that carrying
member 3 also extends straight from hook 11 to support edge 2 when
carrying members 3-5 are folded out to the position shown in FIG.
1. In the exemplary embodiment drawn here, which is shown in more
detail in FIG. 4, the upper end of carrying member 3 comprises a
flat portion 17 connected to hook member 11 via two film hinges 18.
As FIG. 7 shows, this portion of carrying member 3 extends so that,
in the carrying position shown in FIG. 7, carrying member 3 extends
straight from hook 11 to the support edge.
[0036] The example embodiments of the hinges of carrying members
3-5 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b. In FIGS. 1
and 2 can be seen that the actual hinge connection is formed by a
pin-like element 20 which can twist during the pivoting movement.
This pin-like element 20 is connected on the side to a disc-like
part 22, which is connected to support edge 2 via wall parts 24,
and on the other side to a plate part 23 at the bottom end of the
relevant carrying member 3-5.
[0037] Resilient brackets 25, 26 are formed on either side of this
plate member 23. Together with wall parts 24 these brackets 25, 26
form arresting means, which can arrest hinge 10, or more
particularly the bottom end of the relevant carrying member 3-5, in
the rest position of FIG. 5a and the carrying position of FIG. 5b.
Wall parts 24 have a height equal to the mutual distance between
the outer surfaces of wall parts 24. In the position shown in FIG.
5a the resilient brackets 25, 26 are at least practically in
contact with these outer surfaces of the wall parts, and in the
carrying position of FIG. 5b the resilient brackets 25, 26 are in
contact with the end surfaces of wall parts 24. In order to rotate
hinge 10 from the situation in FIG. 5a to FIG. 5b and back again,
brackets 25, 26 must be bent outward. The arresting action is
achieved due to the springing back.
[0038] Hinge 8 in carrying member 5 has a similar construction. In
FIG. 6, which shows this hinge in more detail, can also be seen
that the actual hinge is formed by pin-like element 30 which can be
twisted in the same manner. Formed on upper part 7 of carrying
member 5 is formed a plate part with wall parts 31 which protrude
therefrom and which in turn carry a disc-like element 32 to which
the pin-like element is connected on this side. On the other side
pin-like element 30 is connected to the part 6 of the carrying
member. On the end of this part 6 is also formed a resilient
bracket 33 which engages in corresponding manner on the side
surfaces of wall parts 31. In the position shown in FIG. 6 the
situation will hereby be arrested where parts 6 and 7 lie mutually
in line, and with a rotation through 180.degree. the resilient
bracket 33 will lie against the opposite side surface of the other
wall part 31 in order to arrest this situation.
[0039] FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the invention, wherein
upper edge 41 forms part of a pot 42. According to the invention a
pot with a pot hanger 40 formed integrally therewith can thus be
formed as one whole by injection moulding. The pot hanger further
comprises carrying members 43, 44, 45, which are connected to
support edge 41 of pot 42 by way of hinges 46. The pot hanger can
here also be placed in the carrying position shown in FIG. 8 by
pulling hook 47 upward from the situation according to FIG. 2. In
the rest position according to FIG. 2 access to pot 42 is
completely clear and a plant can for instance be placed in pot 42
in unobstructed manner. Once this has taken place the situation of
FIG. 8 can be obtained by pulling hook 47 upward.
[0040] Example embodiments being thus described, it will be obvious
that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not
to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the
present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious
to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the
scope of the following claims.
* * * * *