U.S. patent application number 12/486560 was filed with the patent office on 2010-12-23 for portable garden.
Invention is credited to William R. DOUGHERTY.
Application Number | 20100320110 12/486560 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43353363 |
Filed Date | 2010-12-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100320110 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
DOUGHERTY; William R. |
December 23, 2010 |
PORTABLE GARDEN
Abstract
A lightweight portable garden container consists of a space
frame that supports a flexible waterproof liner such that the floor
of the flexible liner is elevated above the ground. The flexible
liner includes a plurality of drain holes formed in the bottom
surface that are attached to a manifold for collecting water
draining from the flexible liner. The manifold drains into a closed
reservoir which is attached to a pump that recirculates water from
the reservoir back into to the container for irrigating the plants
growing therein. The raised floor facilitates gardening at a
comfortable level, while the recirculation system minimizes the
amount of wasted water.
Inventors: |
DOUGHERTY; William R.; (Sun
City, AZ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Dickinson Wright PLLC;John D. Titus
5009 E. Washington, Ste. 125
Phoenix
AZ
85034
US
|
Family ID: |
43353363 |
Appl. No.: |
12/486560 |
Filed: |
June 17, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/423 ;
137/565.17; 220/9.4; 417/290 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 137/86035 20150401;
A01G 9/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/423 ;
220/9.4; 137/565.17; 417/290 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/52 20060101
B65D085/52; B65D 25/14 20060101 B65D025/14; F04B 23/02 20060101
F04B023/02; F04B 49/00 20060101 F04B049/00 |
Claims
1. A collapsible container comprising: A space frame defining an
interior volume having a side surface, an upper surface and a lower
surface; a flexible liner forming a cup-shaped enclosure attached
to the space frame, the cup-shaped enclosure having a bottom
surface and a lateral surface supported by the space frame; a
plurality of legs extending downward from the space frame to
elevate the bottom surface of the flexible liner above a supporting
surface; at least one drainage hole formed in the bottom surface of
the flexible liner; a manifold attached to the at least one
drainage hole for collecting fluid draining from the liner through
the at least one drainage hole; a reservoir attached to the
manifold for storing the fluid collected from the manifold; and a
pump for recirculating fluid from the reservoir to the
enclosure.
2. The collapsible container of claim 1, wherein: the space frame
is formed in the shape of a substantially rectangular prism.
3. The collapsible container of claim 1, wherein: the at least one
drainage hole comprises a plurality of drainage holes; and the
manifold is attached to each of the plurality of drainage
holes.
4. The collapsible container of claim 1, further comprising: a
source of fluid attached to the reservoir; and a valve for
maintaining a predetermined quantity of fluid in the reservoir.
5. The collapsible container of claim 1, further comprising: a
filter disposed between the reservoir and the enclosure for
filtering debris from the fluid prior to recirculating the fluid
from the reservoir to the enclosure.
6. The collapsible container of claim 1, further comprising: a
timer for operating the pump on a predetermined schedule.
7. The collapsible container of claim 1, further comprising: a
moisture sensor for measuring moisture in a quantity of soil within
the enclosure and operating the pump when the moisture in the
quantity of soil falls below a predetermined level.
8. The collapsible container of claim 1, further comprising: a
central column for supporting a roof over the enclosure, the
central column having an interior lumen and a medial opening,
wherein the fluid is recirculated from the reservoir to the
enclosure through the interior lumen and out the medial
opening.
9. The collapsible container of claim 8, further comprising: a roof
supported by the central column; and a plurality of side panels
each having an upper edge attached to the roof and a lower edge
releasably attached to the side surface of the space frame for
forming a sealed volume adapted to resist pest intrusion.
10. The collapsible container of claim 1, further comprising: a
plurality of flexible straps attached to and extending across the
lower surface of the space frame to form a support for supporting
the bottom surface of the enclosure
11. The collapsible container of claim 1, wherein: the space frame
is formed of a plurality of tubular members and a plurality of
releasable fasteners for enabling the space frame to be assembled
and disassembled.
12. The collapsible container of claim 1, further comprising: a
renewable energy source for providing power to the pump, the
renewable energy source being selected from the group consisting of
a photovoltaic cell and a wind generator.
13. The collapsible container of claim 1, wherein: the reservoir
comprises a flexible bladder.
14. A collapsible container comprising: a plurality of tubular
members temporarily connected together to form the edges of a
hollow space-frame, the space frame defining an interior volume
having a side surface, an upper surface and a lower surface; a
plurality of fabric straps attached to and extending across the
lower surface of the space frame to form a floor support; a
flexible liner attached to the space frame forming a cup-shaped
enclosure, the cup-shaped enclosure having a lateral surface
supported by the space frame and a bottom surface supported by the
plurality of fabric straps; a plurality of legs extending downward
from the space frame to elevate the bottom surface of the flexible
liner above a supporting surface; at least one drainage hole formed
in the bottom surface of the flexible liner; a manifold attached to
the at least one drainage hole for collecting fluid draining from
the liner through the at least one drainage hole; a reservoir
attached to the manifold for storing the fluid collected from the
manifold; a pump for recirculating fluid from the reservoir to the
enclosure.
15. The collapsible container of claim 14, wherein: the at least
one drainage hole comprises a plurality of drainage holes; and the
manifold is attached to each of the plurality of drainage
holes.
16. The collapsible container of claim 15, further comprising: a
source of fluid attached to the reservoir; and a valve for
maintaining a predetermined quantity of fluid in the reservoir.
17. The collapsible container of claim 14, further comprising: a
central column for supporting a roof over the enclosure, the
central column having an interior lumen and a medial opening,
wherein the fluid is recirculated from the reservoir to the
enclosure by pumping through the interior lumen and out the medial
opening.
18. The collapsible container of claim 14, further comprising: a
renewable energy source for providing power to the pump selected
from the group consisting of a photovoltaic cell and a wind
generator.
19. The collapsible container of claim 14, wherein: The reservoir
comprises a closed container.
20. The collapsible container of claim 19, wherein: the reservoir
comprises a collapsible bladder.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to portable containers, more
specifically to portable containers for containing soil for the
purpose of growing vegetables, flowers or other plants.
[0002] Portable garden boxes are well known in the art. Gardening
is a popular pastime in both urban and rural areas and portable
garden boxes enable a garden to be established quickly in areas
that otherwise would not support a garden. Portable garden boxes
with raised floors permit the garden surface to be raised to a
convenient level for gardening without stooping or bending over for
protracted periods of time, however, the raised floor necessitates
the garden box be of heavier construction to support the raised
floor, thus adversely impacting the portability of the garden box.
In arid regions of the world it is also important to conserve water
as much as possible. Establishing a proper watering schedule (e.g.,
deep watering in the very early morning) helps eliminate water lost
through evaporation, but does nothing to conserve water that drains
into the ground away from the roots of the garden plants.
[0003] Prior art raised-floor portable garden boxes include U.S.
Pat. No. 1,420,191 to Hassig, which comprises a plurality of rigid
side and bottom panels made of a mixture of asbestos and cement
supported by rigid corner pieces that are assembled to form an
enclosure. A drip pan is provided to collect water that drains out
of the drain hole but no provision is made for conserving the water
collected. Moreover, although the garden box of Hassig is portable
in the broad sense of capable of being moved, a garden box made of
concrete and asbestos panels is not likely to be considered
portable in the modern sense of capable of being transported in the
trunk of a car and assembled by a single hobbyist.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,522 to Marchioro discloses a modular
flower box having post and wall elements that are connected by
reversible anchoring elements that enable the modular boxes to be
connected in various shapes to allow substantial gardening units to
be installed in building lobbies and the like. The modular flower
box of Marchioro does not have a raised floor or any provision for
conserving water. U.S. patent application US 2007/0151150 to
Sandoval discloses a portable garden box with protective fence
comprising a rigid tub with a protective screen to exclude small
animals. The rigid tub includes a plurality of drain holes,
however, no provision is made for raising the floor of the tub
above the supporting surface or for conserving water.
[0005] No prior art garden box addresses the issue of water lost
into the ground beyond the reach of the garden plants' roots and
none have achieved a satisfactory balance of incorporating a raised
floor with lightweight construction necessary for portability.
Accordingly, what is needed is a portable garden box that has a
floor raised above the ground or other supporting surface and which
recycles the water that drains from the garden box so that only the
water that is actually absorbed by the plants or lost through
evaporation must be replaced from an external water source.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention satisfies the foregoing need by
providing a lightweight portable garden container comprising a
space frame that supports a flexible waterproof liner such that the
floor of the flexible liner is elevated above the supporting
surface. According to an embodiment of the invention, the flexible
liner includes a plurality of drain holes formed in the bottom
surface that are attached to a manifold for collecting water
draining from the flexible liner. The manifold drains into a closed
reservoir which is attached to a pump that recirculates water from
the reservoir back into to the container for irrigating the plants
growing therein. The reservoir may include filters to filter
detritus from the recirculated water and a float valve for
admitting make-up water necessary to compensate for water lost
through evaporation and absorption by the plants growing in the
container. The container may include side panels that can be closed
and locked to exclude cats, rabbits and other pests and may also
include roof for supporting a renewable energy source such as a
photovoltaic cell or wind generator for powering the pump, timer
and associated electronics. The raised floor of the portable
container enables the surface of the soil within the container to
be raised to a convenient level for enjoyable gardening without
using an unnecessarily large volume of soil while at the same time
providing an appropriate sheltered area beneath the garden box for
containing the reservoir pump, battery and associated hardware.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0007] The present invention will be better understood from a
reading of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawing figures in which like references
designate like elements and, in which:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable container
incorporating features of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the portion of FIG. 1
indicated by reference 2;
[0010] FIG. 3 is an enlarged portion of the portion of FIG. 1
indicated by reference 3;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a partial view of the portable container of FIG. 1
with the roof and liner removed;
[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the roof portion of the
portable container of FIG. 1 showing details of the space frame
construction;
[0013] FIG. 6 is perspective view of the reservoir and pump
assembly of the portable container of FIG. 1; and
[0014] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the reservoir and pump assembly of
the portable container of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a portable garden box 10
comprises a space frame 12 supporting a flexible waterproof liner
14, which is adapted to contain a quantity of soil for growing
vegetables, flowers or other plants. Space frame 12 is composed of
a plurality of vertical upright members 16, a plurality of
horizontal floor joist members 18 and a plurality of horizontal
beam members 20 assembled together to form a box-like enclosure as
shown in FIG. 4. The elements of space frame 12 preferable comprise
11/4 inch diameter lightweight plastic pipe made of a material with
good ultraviolet resistance such as ABS, Nylon 6/6, Acetal, PET or
PPO, or may comprise ordinary PVC pipe coated or treated for UV
resistance.
[0016] Upright members 16, joist members 18 and beam members 20 may
be assembled by any conventional technique (e.g., adhesives,
fasteners, fusion welding, etc.) but in the illustrative embodiment
are assembled by means of three-way, four-way, and five-way Tees
together with or without a solvent-adhesive such as PVC cement. The
volume enclosed by the box-like enclosure defined by space frame 12
may be of any convenient size, but in the illustrative embodiment
comprises an enclosure approximately 48 inches by 48 inches by 18
inches. Additional length and/or width can be added to space frame
12 simply by inserting additional upright members 16, joist members
18 and beam members 20 to lengthen the assembly as necessary. A
plurality of leg members 22 are attached to space frame 12 at
appropriate locations, typically directly beneath upright members
16. Leg members 22 may be attached to space frame 12 in any
convenient manner but in the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1 are
attached to space frame 12 by means of four-way and five-way Tees.
Leg members 22 are preferable adjustable in length (e.g., by pin
and hole attachments or by a telescoping thread) to enable space
frame 12 to be leveled on an irregular surface.
[0017] A floor 24 is provided to support the weight of the soil
contained within liner 14. Floor 24 comprises a plurality of fabric
straps 26 that are looped around joist members 18 and interlaced
across the span of floor 24 to provide a substantially solid
surface for supporting liner 14. Liner 14, which rests on floor 24
comprises a thin flexible membrane composed of suitable material
such as UV resistant ultra high molecular weight polyethylene,
polycarbonate or fluoropolymer sheet stitched or welded to form an
open rectangular container. The upper ends of liner 14 are formed
into pockets 28. Beam members 20 are passed through pockets 28 to
support the upper edge of liner 14. Alternatively, the fabric may
be wrapped around and secured with hook and loop fasteners to
create pockets. Fabric straps 26 may be formed of any suitable
natural or synthetic fabric such as cotton fibers, nylon 6/6,
aramid fibers or polypropylene fibers. As can be discerned from
FIG. 4, in addition to supporting liner 14, the tension in fabric
straps 26 also tends to hold space frame 12 together, thereby
eliminating the need for fasteners.
[0018] The center portion of liner 14 includes a flanged throat
(not shown) that extends upward and surrounds center support 30 up
to a level approximately equal to the level of upper edge of liner
14. The throat formed in liner 14 allows liner 14 to remain
watertight while at the same time permitting center support 30 to
pass through liner 14 for reasons that are discussed more fully
hereinafter.
[0019] Space frame 12 further includes an awning 32. Awning 32 is
preferable formed of a woven synthetic material having good
ultraviolet resistance such as Nylon 6/6, PTFE, PPO or PET
stretched over a roof frame 34 (FIG. 5). Roof frame 34 is of
similar construction to space frame 12, consisting of a plurality
of roof frame members 36 assembled with elbows 38 and Tees 40 to
form a substantially rigid structure. The center Tee 40 is
supported by center support 30 to provide the necessary rigidity to
enable roof frame 34 to support a renewable energy source such as
solar panel 42 or a wind turbine (not shown). Awning 32 may include
pockets sewn into the fabric through which roof frame members 36
pass to secure awning 32 to roof frame 34. Alternatively, fabric
straps with fasteners (e.g., hooks, hook and loop fasteners,
zippers, etc.) may be used to secure awning 32 to roof frame 34.
The entirety of awning 32 and roof frame 34 is attached to and
supported by a plurality of vertical struts 46. Each of vertical
struts 46 is attached to an upright member 16 by means of an elbow
50 which is threaded and pinned into a Tee fitting 52 attached to
upright member 16. Vertical strut 46 is in turn received by elbow
50 and attached by conventional means such as clevis pin 54 which
holds vertical strut 46 in a proper angular orientation relative to
space frame 12. The upper ends of vertical struts 46 are held in a
rigid, spaced-apart configuration by means of a plurality of
horizontal struts 48 attached to the upper ends 56 of vertical
struts 46 thereby forming a substantially rigid structure for
supporting roof frame 34.
[0020] Garden box 10 further includes a plurality of side panels 66
comprising a side panel frame 68 supporting a side panel screen 70.
Side panel frame 66 is of similar construction to space frame 12
and is preferable hinged to horizontal strut 46 by means of a
loosely fitting so-called "hinge" Tee 72. Side panel frame 68 may
be permanently attached to hinge Tee 72 or may be attached by
temporary means such as pin 74 which may be a conventional clevis
pin, hitch pin, ball pin, etc. Side panels 66 can be secured in
their closed position by means of a spring loaded pin 76 which
engages an open end 78 of side panel frame 68. When latched in
their closed positions, side panels 66 protect the garden from
garden pests such as rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, cats and the
like.
[0021] Side panels 66 may be retained in an open configuration by
means of wire stays 80, each of which comprises a Z-shaped piece of
spring wire passing through a hole in vertical strut 46. The
opposite end of the wire passes through a similar hole in side
panel frame 68. Wire stay may be retained to vertical strut 46 by
means of a conventional push fastener, e-clip or similar means. The
spring tension in wire stay 80 urges it toward side panel frame 68
so that it remains engaged to hold side panel 66 in the open
position without additional fasteners.
[0022] With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, an important aspect of the
present invention is the capability of recycling water that has
been used to irrigate the plants growing in garden box 10. To that
end there is provided a manifold 90 having a plurality of inlets 92
which couple to corresponding flanges (not shown) formed in the
bottom surface of liner 14. Suitable wire mesh screens may be
incorporated into the flanges to prevent large debris from entering
inlets 92. Manifold 90 is coupled to a closed reservoir 94 such
that water draining from liner 14 through inlets 92 will collect in
reservoir 94. As used herein, "closed" reservoir means the
reservoir is substantially sealed to minimize water lost through
evaporation and therefore is closed on all sides with the exception
of an inlet leading from the manifold, an outlet to the pump, an
inlet to the float valve and, optionally an overflow vent as
described hereinafter.
[0023] Reservoir 94 may comprise a rigid structure formed of a
suitable plastic material such as PPO, PET or ABS or may comprise a
flexible bladder formed of an elastomeric material such as
polyurethane. Reservoir 94 may also include a float valve 96 which
admits water from a water source such as a water tank, well or
other pressurized source of water to ensure the water within
reservoir 94 is sufficient for irrigating the contents of garden
box 10. A pump 98 draws water from reservoir 94 in response to an
external signal such as a watering timer or preferable a moisture
sensor embedded in the soil contained within liner 14. Pump 98
discharges the water through irrigation line 100 which passes
through the center of center support 30 and terminates in one or
more sprinkler nozzles 102. Filter 104 ensures sediment collecting
in reservoir 94 does not enter pump 98. A power/control module 108
provides power (battery or plug-in) as well as control signals
(sprinkler timer or moisture sensor, etc.) to operate pump 98 at
the appropriate time for irrigating the contents of garden box
10.
[0024] As can be determined from the foregoing, the garden box 10
in accordance with the present invention is lightweight, portable,
and can be assembled with a relatively small amount of soil. Yet,
because of the raised floor, the surface of the garden will be at
an elevated level for easy gardening. In operation, in response to
an external signal such as a moisture sensor embedded in the soil
or a sprinkler timer, pump 98 will pump water from reservoir 94
through irrigation line 100 to be discharged through sprinkler
nozzles 102 to irrigate the contents of garden box 10. Because the
garden box has a raised floor and a manifold for collecting water
draining from the garden box, water that is not absorbed by the
plants growing in the garden or lost through evaporation (which
otherwise would be lost in through percolation into the soil) is
captured and stored for subsequent irrigation cycles. The floor of
the planter is raised. Accordingly, the water recovery system is
conveniently located above ground and the reclamation process
occurs naturally through gravity flow. Because a substantial
portion of the water that would otherwise be lost is reclaimed, the
present invention minimizes the amount of make-up water that must
be supplied from other sources (which in rural, arid regions
without municipal water supplies may be scarce).
[0025] Although certain illustrative embodiments and methods have
been disclosed herein, it will be apparent from the foregoing
disclosure to those skilled in the art that variations and
modifications of such embodiments and methods may be made without
departing from the invention. For example, although the
illustrative embodiment includes a manifold with multiple inlets,
if the liner is provided with only a single drain, the manifold
could be a single drain tube leading to a closed reservoir.
Accordingly, it is intended that the invention should be limited
only to the extent required by the appended claims and the rules
and principles of applicable law. Additionally, as used herein,
unless otherwise specifically defined, the terms "substantially" or
"generally" when used with mathematical concepts or measurements
mean within .+-.10 degrees of angle or within 10 percent of the
measurement, whichever is greater.
* * * * *