WO2008076087A1

WO2008076087A1 - Irrigation tank for trees

Info

Publication number: WO2008076087A1
Application number: PCT/TR2007/000130
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ebru Tanalp
Original assignee: Ebru Tanalp
Priority date: 2006-12-18
Filing date: 2007-11-09
Publication date: 2008-06-26

Abstract

The present invention is related to an irrigation tank that prevents trees from being parched and allows for their healthy development. The tree irrigation tank (7) of the present invention comprises a hollow tank body (1) surrounding the trunk of the tree, fixing clamps (3) mounted on the body (1), a lid (2) on the upper part of the body for filling the body (1) of the tank with water, at least one irrigation channel (4) having a connection with the tank body and which houses multiple irrigation channel openings (5) and at least one irrigation valve (6) positioned on the irrigation channel. The irrigation tank of the present invention is simply structured and is easy to manufacture and use. It can save significant amounts of water and even functions successfully in areas where water is scarce.

Description

DESCRIPTION

IRRIGATION TANK FOR TREES

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an irrigation tank that prevents trees from being parched and allows for their healthy development.

Prior Art

Caring for and developing various plants such as trees, flowers etc., found in - agriculture, parks, around residential buildings and on roadsides requires a lot of labor, time and cost. Irrigation as a part of this process is crucial. Plants are harmed as a result of erroneous and insufficient irrigation or over-irrigation, resulting in lost labor and costsr-lrrigation-methods-are~applied-differently-as-to-to--the~qualities'θf~a' specific plant. A classic method of irrigation a tree is to place a dish around the root of the plant. With this method, problems may arise depending on where the tree will be planted. For instance, in narrow spaces, the tree may not be getting all the water it needs as the dish is not opened wide enough and this results in the drying of the tree. Where there are no water sources near the plants, water has to be transported by a water truck in order for the plants to be watered. The water from the truck is given to the plants by the use of a water hose. While all plants have different irrigation needs, this may not be taken into account by the person who is doing the irrigation, who may water the plants as he/she sees fit. When the dish is not opened up to a sufficient width, not only does the plant suffer from a lack of water, but all the excess water is wasted as it overflows from the dish. Similarly, water is also wasted as the Water from the hose continues to flow in between the trees. Furthermore, some of the water collected in the dish also tends to evaporate and is therefore not received by the plant. In a time when the effects of global warming are being felt quite intensely, natural resources, and especially water, need to be handled with efficiency. To this end, many solutions are becoming available to make irrigation more effective and efficient. Moreover, plants, especially those which have only recently been planted tend to be agitated by the wind and other external impacts, which cause them to move out of place and allow air to come in contact with the roots, in effect, drying them out. To prevent this, stilts are placed and tied around the plant's body to prevent it from moving put of place. The use of stilts tends ^"not to just ^: harm the plant around the areas where the harnesses are in place, but also ruins the look of the plant itself.

In a known embodiment, Japanese Patent No. JP10098957 discloses a protective part that has been developed to protect growing trees from external impact and also to water them. This protective part, which is in the shape of an inverted cone, comprises openings which run along the top and the base and are separated by regular intervals. In this invention, although the tree, and especially a newly planted tree, is protected from external impact, effective irrigation is not achieved.

Japanese Patent No. JP8070707 discloses a concrete partition which is aimed at making the area where the trees are planted appear pleasant, reducing external impact, and making caring for the trees easier. The trees are planted next to each other in a row, and the higher walls surrounding the trees allow for adequate care and irrigation. However, as the trees are all within the same partition, the distance between-them-eannot~be-adjL^j.5tedrand-'this-leads-4e-iøwer-eff-iβiene-y--during-irrigation.™ In addition, the newly planted trees do not receive adequate protection against external impact.

The German Utility Model Application DE202006019002 discloses a protective device which can be opened and closed at the top, and is aimed at making the protecting and irrigation of newly planted trees more convenient. The protective device, which has a circular section, has a lid that can be opened and closed, and also, conduits placed along the protective body to allow for the water to flow directly towards the roots. However, with this invention it is not possible to provide the correct amount of water to the plant/tree.

Object of the Invention

The object of the invention is to provide an irrigation tank where the amount of water provided to the tree can be modified according to certain parameters, such as the structure of the plant, weather, soil type etc.

Another object of the invention is to provide an irrigation tank that allows all the water given to the tree to be absorbed by the tree root cells and that reduces evaporation to a minimum during such absorption. Further object of the invention is to develop an irrigation tank that protects trees, and especially newly planted trees from undesirable external hazards such as wind, impact etc.

Description of the Drawings

The irrigation tank of the present invention is illustrated in the attached drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic view of one application of the tree irrigation tank, Figure 2 is a schematic view of another application of the tree irrigation tank,

Figure 3a is a schematic view of yet another application of the tree irrigation tank, Figure 3b is a section view of the application of the tree irrigation tank in Figure 3.

The parts of the invention as they are numbered in the drawings are defined below:

1. Tahk^~bo~c!y-^'

2. Lid

3. Fixing clamp

4. Irrigation channel 5. Irrigation channel opening

6. Irrigation valve

7. Tree irrigation tank

8. Connector

The tree irrigation tank (7) of the present invention comprises a hollow tank body (1) surrounding the trunk of the tree, fixing clamps (3) mounted on the body (1), a lid (2) on the upper part of the body for filling the body (1) of the tank with water,- at least one irrigation channel (4) having a connection with the tank body and which houses multiple irrigation channel openings (5) and at least one irrigation valve (6) positioned on the irrigation channel. The tank body (1) may be produced from either metal or plastic and can be built to any shape such as cylindrical, prismatic, or spherical. The tank body may be comprised of either a single part or multiple parts in order to completely surround the trunk of the tree. Furthermore, different designs are applicable with the addition of various visual elements. As an example of an embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 shows a tank body comprised of two parts and in the shape of a prism. In Figure 2, a single piece tank body (1) is present that is formed by two cylindrical structures overlapping each other and having a gap on one side. Another embodiment of the tank structure having a two part cylindrical structure is shown in Figure 3a and it's vertical section is shown in Figure 3b. The invention is not limited to the figures provided. In accordance with the content of the attached claims, different shapes for the body tank are within the scope of the different embodiments.

The body (1) of the irrigation tank (7) is fixed to the tree trunk at various points through use of the fixing clamps (3). In addition, the strength of the tank is increased by fixing to the soil via the legs found beneath the body (1). Water is filled into the tank by opening the tank's lid (2) which is located on the upper part of the body (1). The water in the body is then carried over to the irrigation channel and from there, relayed to the base of the tree through openings on the irrigation channel. The irrigation valve (6) positioned on top of the irrigation channel allows the amount of flowing water to be controlled. Through adjustment of the irrigation valve (6), the right amount of water can be conveyed to the tree through the water channel openings (5). In a preferred "embodiment""of" the"inventfonrthe-frrigation~valve-^"(6)^~is^~sensftive - enough to allow only drops of water at a time to be conveyed to the tree.

The irrigation channel (4) is designed so that it may be connected and disconnected from the tank body (1). After the irrigation tank has been fitted around the tree, the irrigation channel (4), which can be disassembled, can be connected or disconnected on the tank body whenever necessary.

In the event that the tank body (1) is comprised of many parts, the invention may have multiple alternative applications.

In one embodiment, the tank body (1) parts are manufactured as connected to each other, and with the help of connectors (8) within the body parts, the water is able to pass from one to the other. In this aspect of the invention, water can be conveyed to the tree through a single irrigation channel (Figure 3a and Figure 3b).

In yet another embodiment of the invention, there exists no connections between the tank body parts, and the parts may be aligned in different positions and directions. In this aspect, a modularly structured way of using the invention is made, possible (Figure 1). In this application, irrigation that is specific to the tree's physical conditions is made possible by attaching a separate irrigation channel to every part of the body. The subject irrigation tank invention is simply structured and is easy to manufacture and use. It can save significant amounts of water and even functions successfully in areas where water is scarce. It is especially effective in local districts where there are plenty of trees that have to be maintained, such as parks and public refuges,, and

^' provides significant labor, time, and water efficiency.

Claims

1. A tree irrigation tank (7), characterized in that comprising an irrigation tank body (1), at least one lid (2) on top of the tank, one or more fixing clamps (3) for fixing the body around a tree trunk, at least one irrigation channel (4) that can be connected and disconnected and having one or more irrigation channel openings (5), and an irrigation valve (6) positioned on top of the irrigation channel controlling the flow of water through the irrigation channel to provide the tree with the desired amount of water.

2. A tree irrigation tank (7) according to claim 1 which is characterized in that comprising a tank body (1) as a single piece which is suitable for surrounding the trunk of the tree.

3. A tree irrigation tank (7) according to claim 1 which is characterized in that comprising a tank body (1) consisting of many parts which are connected to each other for surrounding the trunk of the tree.

4. A tree-imgation-tank-^-according-to-claim— Vwhich is-eharacterized -in— that- comprising a tank body (1) consisting of many parts which are not connected to each other and are positioned to surround the trunk of the tree.

5. A tree irrigation tank (7) according to any of the claims above, characterized in that the tank body (1) is of a cylindrical structure.

6. A tree irrigation tank (7) according to any of the claims above, characterized in that the tank body (1) is of a prismatic structure.

7. A tree irrigation tank (7) according to any of the claims above, characterized in that the tank body (1) is of a spherical structure.

8. A tree irrigation tank (7) according to any of the claims above, characterized in that the tank body (1) is shaped in various geometric forms that have decorative appeal.

9. A tree irrigation tank (7) according to any of the claims above, characterized in that the water valve (6) is adjustable to an extent that the water may be carried drop by drop to the tree through the irrigation channel openings (5).