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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates devices for supporting potted plants, and particularly to a plant stand that provides a platform mounted on legs and has the capability of supporting the plant on top of the platform or suspended from the platform for washing or watering the plant, as well as for display purposes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Potted plants are typically watered by hand, with the user transporting water to the plant via a watering can or the like. However, elderly or infirm users may find the use of a heavy and unwieldy watering can inconvenient. Further, watering plants in this manner often results in the unwanted splashing of water, both into the environment surrounding the potted plant, and onto the support for the plant. Typical supports are formed from planar boards, planks or plates, and splashed water may result in the accumulation of water between the support and the potted plant, which, upon stagnation, may result in harmful mold or mildew being produced. In addition, such conventional supports must be regularly cleaned due to spilled dirt from the potted plant, and from common environmental contaminants, such as dust and the like.
Moreover, potted plants have a tendency to collect dust on the plant leaves. From time to time, it becomes necessary to clean the leaves for aesthetic purposes. A typical approach is to clean each leaf individually with a dust cloth or a damp sponge, occasionally spraying the leaves, when necessary. This can be a time consuming chore. A better approach would be to place the entire plant in a bathtub or shower stall where the entire plant can be sprayed at one time to remove any dust or dirt that has accumulated on the leaves. However, there is no washing or watering stand for plants currently available that is adapted for this purpose.
Thus, a plant stand solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The plant stand includes a platform having an upper surface and a lower surface, with the upper surface being adapted for selectively supporting a potted plant. The support may be formed from plastic, treated wood, corrosion resistant metal or any other suitable portable and water-resistant material.
The platform is perforated to provide for drainage, and may be circular, having a grid of large apertures extending radially from a central hub to permit the passage of large quantities of water when the plant is being washed under a continuous spray, such as a under a bathtub or shower stall sprayer nozzle. A hook may depend from the platform for supporting a plant suspended from the platform. The hook may be permanently installed on the lower surface of the platform. Alternatively, the central hub may have a slot defined therein, and the hook may be removably inserted through the slot, the hook having a base supported on a recessed ledge defined in the central hub.
The platform is supported by a plurality of legs. The legs may be permanently mounted to the platform. Alternatively, the upper ends of the legs are removably inserted into sockets defined in the lower surface of the platform adjacent the periphery of the platform. The legs are preferably height adjustable, being telescopic legs having means for fixing the height of the legs, being either continuously adjustable or adjustable in discreet increments. The legs are preferably formed from a rust-resistant material, such as stainless steel, aluminum, or plastic. Preferably, the platform is circular and is supported by three legs, the feet of the legs defining the vertices of an isosceles triangle.
In use, the stand may be placed in a shower stall, for example, and the potted plant may be either positioned on the upper surface of the support or suspended from the hook member. In the latter configuration, streaming water may be directed at the upper surface of the support and fall through the fluid passages to drip onto the plant.
These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a plant stand according to the present invention, showing a potted plant being supported on top of the platform.
FIG. 2 is an environmental, perspective view of the plant stand according to the present invention, showing a potted plant suspended below the platform.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an exemplary platform of the plant stand according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the platform of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a plant stand according to the present invention.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
In FIGS. 1 and 2, the plant stand 10 is shown as being positioned within shower stall 12 for washing and watering potted plant P. It should be understood that plant stand 10 may be positioned in any desired environment in which the user wishes to wash or water plant P. Shower stall 12 of FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown for exemplary purposes only. In FIG. 1, potted plant P is mounted on the upper surface of platform 14, allowing water from the shower (or any other suitable supply of water) to be sprayed upon the leaves of plant P, thereby cleaning any dust or dirt off the leaves while simultaneously watering the plant P. As will be described in greater detail below, stand 10 is formed from relatively lightweight materials, and may be easily transported between shower stall 12 and a conventional display environment for plant P, such as a living room.
As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the platform 14 has an upper surface 20 and a lower surface 22, with the upper surface 20 being adapted for supporting potted plant P. The platform 14 may be formed from plastic, treated wood, corrosion resistant metal or any other suitable portable and water-resistant material. Although shown as having a substantially circular contour, it should be understood that support 14 may have any desired contour.
The platform 14 is preferably perforated, having a plurality of apertures 16 defined therein to provide for drainage of water and any dust or particles of soil that may be flushed from the plant when washing or watering the plant. As shown in the drawings, the platform 14 may have a grid of rather large apertures extending radially between a central hub 25 and a peripheral rim 27. The large size of the apertures 16 provides for rapid passage of a large volume of water through the platform 14 to prevent standing water from accumulating on the upper surface 20, which might support the growth of mold and mildew.
In the configuration of FIG. 2, potted plant P is suspended below the platform 14 by a cord C, rope, or the like. The cord C is attached to a hook 28 that depends from the lower surface 22 of the platform 14. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, central hub 25 may be rectangular in shape, having a slot 24 defined therethrough having a width slightly larger than the width of the body and arcuate end of the hook 28 so that the hook 28 may be slidably inserted through the slot 24 from above the platform 14. The upper surface 20 of the central hub 25 has a notch formed therein adjacent the slot 24 defining a ledge 26. The base of the hook 28 has a laterally extending flange 30 that seats in the notch on the ledge 26 flush with the upper surface 20 in order to retain the hook 28.
Hook 28 may be optionally inserted into the slot 24 when it is desired to suspend a plant P below the platform 14 and removed when storing the plant stand 10. Alternatively, hook 28 may be permanently attached to the platform 14. It will be obvious that the plant stand 10 is capable of simultaneously supporting a first potted plant P on top of the platform 14, and a second potted plant P suspended below the platform for display purposes, if desired.
The plant stand 10 has a plurality of legs 18 supporting the platform 14. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, platform 14 may have leg-mounting ledges or portions 29 adjacent the rim 27 and extending radially inward from the rim 27. Leg-mounting portions 29 have bosses or sockets 31 defined therein that receive the upper ends of legs 18. Sockets 31 may be angled or canted at an angle of about 10° so that legs 18 extend outward from the rim 27 of platform 18. The upper ends of legs 18 may be frictionally retained in sockets 31. Alternatively, sockets 31 may be internally threaded and the upper ends of legs 18 may be externally threaded to engage the sockets 31. In another alternative, sockets 31 may have fixtures permanently installed therein, the upper ends of legs 18 releasably engaging the fixtures to secure the legs 18 to the platform 14.
As shown in the drawings, preferably the platform 14 is circular and is supported by three legs 18. The sockets 31 are preferably angled in such a manner that the feet of the legs 18 form the vertices of an isosceles triangle, which both provides a stable support for the platform 14 and sufficient room between the legs 18 to suspend a potted plant P beneath the platform 14, if desired. As shown in FIG. 5, the lower ends of legs 18 may be capped by feet 32, preferably made of rubber or other material having a high coefficient of friction to prevent the legs 18 from sliding when the stand 10 is placed in a tub or shower to wash the plant P.
Preferably legs 18 are made from a lightweight, sturdy, rust-resistant or corrosion-resistant material, such as stainless steel, aluminum, plastic, or other suitable alloys, composites, or materials. Legs 18 are preferably elongated, cylindrical rods or tubes. It is also preferred that legs 18 be height adjustable, i.e., legs 18 are telescoping legs having some means for releasably locking the height of the legs 18 at a desired height. Legs 18 may be continuously adjustable in height, or the height may be adjustable in discreet intervals. Adjustability in height permits the platform 14 to be lowered when washing the plant P in a tub or shower stall. It will be understood, however, that plant stand 10 may be used outdoors on a patio, deck, or the like, and the plant P may be washed or watered using a garden hose equipped with a spray nozzle of the like, if desired.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.