A device for lifting a plant pot

Abstract

 A device 5 for lifting a plant pot 2 out of an ornamental pot 1 comprising a bearing portion 6 and at least one handle portion 7.
Said bearing portion 6 has been adapted to engage about the plant pot 2 while said handle portion 7 has a length sufficing to enable said portion to project above the rim of the plant pot 2.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for lifting a plant pot out of an ornamental pot.

[0002] Except for flower boxes, in practice extremely great quantities of ornamental plants are kept and nursed in separate plant pots, which consist of a moisture-absorbing ceramic material or plastics. Subsequently, said plant pots with plants are disposed in an ornamental pot to obtain an attractive entirety. Said ornamental pots having various sizes and models are being made in various qualities, ranging from a simple material to expensive, beautifully shaped Bone China.

[0003] Pot plants, however, need often be repotted, for which purpose plant pots require to be removed from used ornamental pots. After the repotting mostly a new ornamental pot is required, the dimensions of which should suffice to conveniently accom- modatethe new plant pot with repotted plant. When a plant has attained a certain size a new matching ornamental pot is additionally required, so that the respective plant pot with plant has to be removed from the formerly used ornamental pot.

[0004] It has been found in practice that the latter operation is cumbersome, as plant pots can often only difficultly be removed from an ornamental pot.

[0005] Efforts have been made in practice to simultaneously remove a plant and plant pot from an ornamental pot by seizing the stem or trunk of the respective plant, butin many cases this has proved to be inconvenient, as the plant might get damaged and the plant pot often gets stuck in the ornamental pot and so has to remain therein. When it is desired to remove a plant pot from an ornamental pot which fittingly embraces the plant pot, it is in many cases very hard - even in the absence of a plant with earth - to effectively accomplish said removal, as the plant pot or the ornamental pot may also get damaged.

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to facilitate the removal of a plant pot from an ornamental pot, even in cases when the plant pot is too small for the ornamental pot and has consequently sunk deeply into the latter.

[0007] This is achieved according to the invention with the aid of a device for lifting a plant pot out of an ornamental pot which is characterized by a bearing portion comprising at least one handle portion, said bearing portion having been adapted to en- gags about the plant pot and said handle portion having a length sufficing to enable said portion to project above the rim of the plant pot. The bearing portion and the handle portion may consist of one single plastic moulding, so that both portions are interconnected in a monolithic manner. As a result thereof, the advantage arises that they can be manufactured in various different sizes, allowing a given combination of a plant pot- ornamental pot to be provided with the correct size of lifting device.

[0008] It should be noted that US PS 4 223 480 discloses a perforated folding member surrounding the earth clod of an ornamental plant, which member can be entirely disposed within the interior of a plant pot. Said member comprises two finger grips which may bear upon the rim of a plant pot. The respective member is, however, not adapted to remove a plant pot from an ornamental pot.

[0009] The invention is illustrated with respect to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

- Fig. 1 is an axial section of an ornamental pot with a lifting device, a plant pot being disposed within the ornamental pot, and

- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the lifting device as illustrated in section in fig. 1.

[0010] Fig. 1 illustrates a sectional view of an ornamental pot 1, which may have an arbitrary model and fits about a plant pot 2. As is apparent from the figure, the plant pot has sunk too deeply into the ornamental pot 1; from this it follows that tending the plant, nursed in the plant pot, is complex as for that purpose said pot 2 has to be removed from the ornamental pot 1, which is extremely difficult and can hardly be done without the aid of auxiliary means.

[0011] A broken line 3 in fig. 1 illustrates the upper edge of a plant pot which accurately fits into the ornamental pot 1; obviously said well-fitting plant pot 1 can also only difficultly be removed from the ornamental pot. The dimensions of the plant pot being too great, its upper edge or rim mostly projects above the ornamental pot (see the broken line 4). Apart from the fact that a pretty view is not obtained in this manner, a plant pot which is too large, may get stuck in the ornamental pot which involves a complex removal from the same.

[0012] To solve the above-described problems according to the invention a lifting device is employed, generally referenced 5. Said lifting device is constituted by a bearing portion 6, comprising a handle portion 7, said bearing portion being adapted to engage about the plant pot 2, the handle portion having a length sufficing to enable said portion to project above the rim of the plant pot. Preferably the handle portion 7 additionally projects above the ornamental pot 1, as illustrated in fig. 1. The bearing portion consists of a rigid material and has a shape such, that it can remain disposed between the bottom 8 of the plant pot and the bottom 9 of the ornamental pot 1. The handle portion 7 also consists of a rigid material and is adapted to the height of the plant pot and/or the height of the ornamental pot. The latter can be effected by providing lifting devices having differing handle lengths, or packages of lifting devices adapted to the dimensions of a plurality of plant pots and ornamental pots ranging from smaller to greater sizes.

[0013] As is apparent from figs. 1 and 2, the bearing portion 6 and handle portion 7 are interconnected in a monolithic manner.

[0014] The handle portion has a flat shape and/or a shape adapted to the rounded shape of the plant pot, while the bearing portion 6 is disposed spatulate, under an angle with respect to the handle portion 7.

[0015] The full line in fig. 2 illustrates that a straight or constricted handle portion 7 can be used for small plant pots, the dotted lines 10 illustrating that preferably a wider handle portion 7 can be used for larger plant pots, said wider handle portion preferably having been adapted to the rounded form of a pot.

[0016] For the purpose of leaving the bottom opening of the plant pot unengaged, the bearing portion 6 comprises a passage 11 towards said opening in the bottom of the plant pot to be disposed upon the bearing portion. Additionally the bearing portion may be provided with a small elevations or bulges to provide a good accessibility to the opening in the bottom of the plant pot to enhance the passage of air or liquid. In a very simple and economic embodiment the bearing portion and the handle portion consist of one integral plastic moulding. Using the lifting device according to the invention proceeds as follows:

There is selected a lifting device having the desired length such, that the handle portion 7 projects above the ornamental pot 1, by some centimeters. The plant pot 2 is disposed upon the bearing portion 6 and this entirety is simultaneously disposed into an ornamental pot. Removal of the plant pot from the ornamental pot occurs by lifting with one hand the handle portion of the lifting device and seizing with the other hand the plant pot 2, as soon as the same sufficiently projects above the ornamental pot 1, so that the former is lifted and removed.

[0017] It is observed that the reference numerals in the claims are not intended to restrict the scope thereof, but are only denoted for clarification.

Claims

1. A device 5 for lifting a plant pot 2 out of an ornamental pot 1, characterized by a bearing portion (6), comprising at least one handle portion (7), said bearing portion having been adapted to engage about the plant pot (2) and said handle portion (7) having a length sufficing to enable said portion to project above the rim of the plant pot (2).

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the bearing portion (6) consists of a rigid material and has a shape such, that it can remain disposed between the bottom (8) of the plant pot (2) and the bottom (9) of the ornamental pot (1).

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the handle portion (7) consists of a rigid material and is adapted to the height of the plant pot (2) and/or the height of the ornamental pot (1).

4. A device as claimed in claims 1-4, characterized in that the bearing portion (6) and the handle portion (7) are interconnected in a monolithic manner.

5. A device as claimed in any one or several of claims 1-4, characterized in that the handle portion (7) has a flat shape or a shape adapted to the rounded form of the plant pot (2), while the bearing portion (6) is disposed spatulate under an angle with respect to the handle portion (7).

6. A device as claimed in claims 1-5, characterized in that the bearing portion (6) comprises a passage (11) towards an opening in the bottom (8) of a plant pot (2) to be disposed upon the bearing portion (6).

Drawing