AU673592B2 - Plant mounting shield - Google Patents

Description

P/00/Oil1 28/1W AUSTRALIA Regulation 3.2 Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

CO'MPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: I? O J I The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best .method of performing it known to me:- .I .I 4.S This invention relates to a plant holder and particularly to a holder for accommodating or holding plants and which may be mounted in a generally upright position upon a wall or other upright surface.

Plant growing containers of many different forms are currently available. Most commonly the containers are in the form of pots which usually are self supporting devices which stand upon the ground to support plants. Such conventional containers can also be mounted on stands. Other containers which have been used in the past are designed to be mounted on walls or other upright surface so that plants growing in the container can be supported at an elevated position. Generally, however, a such containers are of relatively small construction and have a limited .e application. In particular, plant holders of the latter type are not suited to :use in supporting a range of different size plants.

Staghorns and other similar plants are also often mounted on walls. Generally for this purpose anchoring points are required Sto be provided in the wall to accept a cord or wire which is used to secure *the plant to the wall. Such mounting means have not proved particularly effective and also lack aesthetical appeal.

20 The present invention aims to overcome or at °4 least alleviate one or more of the above disadvantages by providing a plant holder in or on which plants may be grown and which may be hung on a wall or other upright support. The present invention also aims to provide in a preferred aspect a holder which may be adjusted to suit plants of a number of different sizes. The present invention also aims in a further preferred aspect to provide a plant holder to which plants, such as plants of the staghorn type may be securely mounted. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

1) rs, R A 4, Ilk c41 The present invention thus provides a plant holder including a generally planar backing member adapted to be supported in use in a generally upright attitude, and harness means for supporting a plant to said backing member, said harness means including a main normally planar flexible body portion, and means for securing opposite ends of said body portion to said backing member such as to cause said body portion to adopt a substantially arcuate attitude and define with said backing member a compartment for a holding or supporting a said plant.

In one form the harness means is adapted to define with the backing member a container or pot for holding a growing medium in which the plant may grow. The main body portion may include tongues which may be in the form of straps by which the body portion may be secured to the backing member. The backing member may be provided with spaced apertures or slots to receive the tongues of the harness means, the apertures or slots being positioned such that when the straps are inserted therein, they constrain the body portion to adopt a generally arcuate attitude. Suitably the straps are configured such that when received in the slots of the backing member, they are prevented from pulling out of the slots. The straps may be provided with a plurality of locking projections or teeth and the apertures or slots may be provided with locking ribs to co-operate with the locking projections or teeth, such that insertion of the straps is permitted from one direction into the slots but retraction of the straps is prevented by engagement of the teeth with the tongues, In a particularly preferred construction, the harness means includes two pairs of opposed straps which may locate within respective upper and lower slots in the backing member. Preferably also the harness means is provided with a base forming portion which is provided at one end of the main body portion and which also includes a tongue for engagement oj C- -8i W F J 1-e with a slot in the backing member to define a base for the container defined by the main body portion. Apertures or slots may be provided between the main body portion and base forming portion to enable the base forming portion to be easily bent or flexed relative ro

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s o u o o o /4H ,TU 455,/7' -a.~lry /3i/~.v 4-e C_ I to the main body portion adjacent its junction with the main body portion.

The main body portion also suitably is provided with a slot extending from its normally upper edge to support a plant. The slot is suitably of tapering form such as by being V-shaped.

The backing member is preferably of a generally shield shaped form and includes a series of ribs on its rear face which provide the backing member with a degree of rigidity. The ribs are suitably located adjacent the slots so as to provide support to the backing member in the region of the slots. The body member may also be provided with a stiffening rib about its periphery. The backing member also suitably includes an aperture adjacent its upper end to allow for mounting of the backing member over a hook or other projection so that the backing member can be supported on a wall or other support surface or hung as desired.

In a further form the harness means may simply be 20 in the form of straps which in use secure a plant to the backing member, the straps being of a similar form to that described above such that when invited through the slots in the backing member they are prevented from withdrawal 0ooo through the slots in the backing member.

Preferably the components of the holder are formed of injection moulded plastics material. The outer surfaces of the backing member and harness means are preferably textured to provide for free run off of water.

.In yet a further aspect, the present invention S 30 provides a plant holder including a backing portion and a front wall portion defining with said backing portion a receptacle for soil or other growing medium, said front wall portion including a slot opening to its upper edge and adapted to receive and support a plant.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein I Fig. 1 is a perspective view of plant holder in one configuration according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the backing member for the holder; Fig. 3 is a rear view of the backing member of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the backing member if Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the locking tongues of the backing member; Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the harness for use with the backing member; Fig. 7 illustrates in side view the straps of the harness; Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the strap teeth; and Fig. 9a to e illustrates various configurations of the holder according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to Fig. 1 20 there is illustrated a plant holder 10 according to the :present invention for supporting plants in an upright :..--attitude on a wall, post or any other upright surface. The holder 10 includes a backing member 11 of generally planar form and a front harness 12 engaged, and adapted in the embodiment illustrated to define with the backing member 11 a receptacle 13 for receipt of a growing medium such as soil or potting mix and plants which may be planted in the soil or potting mix.

The backing member 11 as more clearly shown in 30 Figs. 2 to 4 is of generally planar form having a outer planar face 14 supported on its rear side by a plurality of ribs 15 and a peripheral rim 16. Formed in the face 14 are two sets 17 and 18 of five slots, the set 17 including spaced apart pairs of upper and lower slots 19 and 20 and a bottom slot 21. This slot configuration is repeated in the second set of slots 18, the slots of this set being located outwardly from the slots of the first set 17. The backing member 11 additionally includes at its upper end an I aperture 22 for location over a hook, nail or the like to enable the backing member 11 to be hung from any suitable mounting point such as on a wall or post.

As is apparent in Figs. 4 and 5, the slots of the sets 17 and 18 are located adjacent the respective ribs which provide support to the backing member 11 in the region of the slots. In particular and as more clearly shown in Fig. 5, the slots are bounded on one side by one of the ribs 15 and on their other side by a tongue 23 which extends rearwardly of the slots and is inclined inwardly towards the rib The harness 12, as more clearly shown in Fig. 6, is also of generally planar form and includes a main planar flexible body portion 24 bounded on each side by a pair of opposite diverging side edges 25 and including on opposite sides upper and lower outwardly extending straps 26 and 27.

Extending from the main body portion 24 on the lower side thereof is a planar base portion 28 also provided with a strap 29 arranged centrally of and extending away from the, 20 base portion 28. The base portion 28 has upper curved edges 30 for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent. A series of slots 31 may be provided at the ."ojunction between the body portion 24 and the base portion 28 to permit the base portion 28 to be easily bent at this junction relative to the body portion 24. The body portion 24 also is provided in this embodiment with a central tapering slot 32 suitably of V-shaped form, the purpose of which will hereinafter become apparent.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, each strap 26, 27 and 30 29 is provided with a plurality of spaced apart teeth 33 of ramp or wedge-like form and having rearwardly stepped trailing edges 34.

In use, and to form the plant holder 10 of Fig.

1, the straps 26, 27 and 29 are passed into the respective slots 16, 17 and 18 and pulled therethrough so that the edges 25 are adjacent the face 14 of the member 11 to form the receptacle 13 having a curved outer wall defined by the main body portion 24 of the harness 12 and a base defined ~I by the base portion 28 of the harness 12 the curved edges thereof cenforming substantially to the slope of the curvature of the body portion 24 to substantially close the base of the container 13. This configuration as shown in Fig. 9a. The wedge shaped form of the teeth 33 permits them to be passed easily through the slots 16, 17 and 18, however, if withdrawal of the straps is attempted, the edges 34 will engage the tongues 23 to thereby be prevented from moving out of the slots 16, 17 or 18.

The receptacle 13, formed as above is substantially closed and in the shape of a half pot. A small plant can be slid into the V-shaped slot 32 so as to be wedged in position and held with the roots inside the receptacle 13 and the foliage on the outside. Potting mix may then be added to the receptacle 13 to act as a growing medium. Of course in this configuration the receptacle 13 may be simply filled with a growing medium and plants, planted therein for growth in a conventional manner.

In an alternative configuration for support, say 20 of staghorn type plants, the straps 26, 27 and 29 are not e inserted fully into the slots as shown in Fig. 9b so that the plant is simply held to the backing member 11 by the harness 12. The outer set of slots 16, 17 and 19 can be eoto used to receive the respective straps 26, 27 and 29 where larger plants are encountered. It will of course be appreciated that the regularly spaced teeth 33 on the straps 26, 27 and 29 enable many adjustments of the a position of the harness 12 relative to the backing board 11 .for accommodating plants of many different sizes.

30 In a further simplified form as shown in Figs. 9c to e the harness 12 is in the form of an elongated straps 35 having a teeth configuration similar to the teeth 32 of the straps 26, 27 and 29. Straps in this form may again be inserted at each end into the slots 16, 17 and 19 in many different configuration for example curving over or looped as shown in Fig. 9c to e to secure a plant to the backing board 11.

So as to enable easy escape of moisture the outer

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8 surfaces of the backing board 11 and/or harness 12 is preferably textured, such as with a timber grain finish running from the top to the bottom. This will permit excess water between the leaves and the harness 12 to drain off, allowing air to circulate under the leaves and so reduce the incidence of mould or fungus growth.

The configuration of the holder described above may be considerable varied. For example, whilst the backing member 11 is shown to be of a generally shield shaped form, it may be of any shape. Similarly, the harness 12 may be of varying configurations. The respective straps shown in the embodiment are of strip-like form however they may be elongated elements of other form for example of cord-like form and with slots in the backing member 11 being varied so as for example to be in the form of circular apertures. The cord-like elements in this form may be provided with a series of spaced annular ribs to serve the same function as the teeth 33.

It will also be apparent that the main body portion 24 may be provided with more than one slot 32. The slots 32 are suitably of V-shaped form as described but may be of alternative configurations.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative embodiment of the invention, all such 25 modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

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Claims (14)

1. A plant holder including a generally planar backing member adapted to be supported in use in a generally upright attitude, and harness means for supporting a plant to said backing member, said harness means including a main normally planar flexible body portion, and means for securing opposite ends of said body portion to said backing member such as to cause said body portion to adopt a substantially arcuate attitude and define with said backing member a compartment for a holding or supporting a said plant.

2. A plant holder according to Claim 1 wherein said harness means is adapted to define with said backing member a container or pot for holding a growing medium in which a said plant may grow. 15

3. A plant holder according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said securing means comprise tongues on opposite sides of said main body portion, said tongues being engageable with said backing member.

4. A plant holder according to Claim 3 wherein said backing member includes spaced slots for receiving respective said tongues of said harness.

A plant holder according to Claim 4 wherein said slots are provided in spaced sets whereby to enablq the curvature of said body portion to be selectively adjusted.

6. A plant holder according to Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein said Stongues are adapted to be inserted into said slots in one direction and are A 4 SU /VTO restricted from withdrawal from said slots in the opposite direction.

7. A plant holder according to Claim 6 wherein said tongues are provided with a plurality of locking projections and wherein locking ribs are associated with said slots for engagement with said locking projections.

8. A plant holder according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said main body portion has a slot extending downwardly from its upper edge for receipt and support of a plant.

9. A plant holder according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said harness means includes a base portion integral with said main body portion and adapted to define the base of said compartment.

10. A plant holder according to Claim 9 wherein the junction between said base portion and said main body portion is weakened to allow for bending of said base portion relative to said main body portion for Sdefining said base.

11. A plant holder according to Claim 10 wherein said junction is weakened by a plurality of slots which form drainage slots for said compartment.

12. A plant holder acclv.- ,nig to any one of Claims 9 to 11 wherein said base portion includes a base (-origue, said base tongue being engageable in a slot in said so as to close or substantially close the base of said compartment. ,r CT RAfv X II

13. A plant holder according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said backing member and said harness are formed of plastics materials.

14. A plant holder according to Claim 13 wherein said backing member is stiffened by a plurality of ribs. A plant holder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompany drawings. r o cc e v. i/I 1141 1 fir 1