초록 ▼

Planter systems allow for the raising, lowering, holding, locking and releasing of a planter on a vertical support structure. The planter assembly may include a carriage, to which one or more planters is attached. Guides such as cables, rollers, sliders, bristles, gaskets, carpet and registration pi

Planter systems allow for the raising, lowering, holding, locking and releasing of a planter on a vertical support structure. The planter assembly may include a carriage, to which one or more planters is attached. Guides such as cables, rollers, sliders, bristles, gaskets, carpet and registration pins maintain space between the vertical support and planter assembly and facilitate raising and lowering. A tether guided over a pulley may be retracted or extended by winding it around or unwinding it from a winch, cleat or windlass to causes the planter assembly to rise or descend. When raised to a locking height, the planter assembly causes a mechanical locking mechanism associated with the planter assembly to move into a locking position, securing the planter assembly to the vertical support. Further raising releases the locking mechanism. Attachable items such as banners, flags, hangers and the like may be coupled to the carriage. Optional irrigation supplies water to the planter assembly and/or surrounding terrain. The planter may be unitary or a plurality of assembled planter components or sections. Drain and cleanout ports facilitate draining and cleaning of the planter assembly. An optional waterfall embodiment includes a reservoir section with overflow ports to drain water into a lower reservoir at the base of the vertical support, from which a pump supplies the water back to the reservoir section of the planter assembly. A plurality of conduits for electrical, data and plumbing extend through the vertical support.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An adjustable height planter system comprising an adjustable height planter assembly,a vertical support structure, said vertical support structure being tubular and having a cross-section shape from the group consisting of circular and noncircular,raising and lowering means for controllably movin

1. An adjustable height planter system comprising an adjustable height planter assembly,a vertical support structure, said vertical support structure being tubular and having a cross-section shape from the group consisting of circular and noncircular,raising and lowering means for controllably moving the planter assembly relative to the support structure along a continuum of heights, from a lowest position to a highest position,a tether assembly having a first portion and a second portion, the tether assembly operably coupling the adjustable height planter assembly to the raising and lowering means,a pulley at a raised height, said tether assembly extending from said raising and lowering means over said pulley to said adjustable height planter assembly,said adjustable height planter assembly being coupled to and suspended from the second portion of the tether assembly, and said second portion of the tether assembly being external to the vertical support structure, and said first portion of the tether assembly being internal to the vertical support, andsaid raising and lowering means being configured to move the planter assembly along a continuum of heights, from the lowest position to the highest position by controllably adjusting the tether assembly from which the planter assembly is suspended, andsaid planter assembly comprising a planter container and being configured to substantially surround a portion of the vertical support structure and hold contents comprising a plant in a planting medium, said planter container having a top that is substantially-uncovered and remains substantially uncovered throughout the entire range of motion, including at the highest position, allowing the contents to be exposed throughout the entire range of motion, and said planter assembly including a channel through which the surrounded portion of the vertical support extends, andsaid planter assembly further comprising a drainage aperture, said drainage aperture being positioned and sized to automatically release from the planter assembly liquid accumulated in the planter container while contents are held in the planter container. 2. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 1, said adjustable height planter system further comprising a plurality of guides disposed between the vertical support structure and the planter assembly, said plurality of guides maintaining a space between the vertical support structure and the planter assembly, protecting the vertical support structure from marring when the planter assembly moves relative to the vertical support structure, and facilitating movement of the planter assembly relative to the vertical support structure. 3. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 2, wherein said guides comprise a plurality of supporting tether assemblies. 4. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 2, wherein said guides comprise rollers. 5. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 2, wherein said guides comprise slides. 6. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 2, wherein said guides comprise resilient material. 7. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 2, wherein said guides comprise brushes. 8. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 2, wherein said guides comprise bristles. 9. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 2, wherein said guides comprise gaskets. 10. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 2, wherein said guides comprise a registration male pin and a female receptacle. 11. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 1, said adjustable height planter system further comprising an automatic locking assembly apart from the raising and lowering means, said automatic locking assembly configured to automatically releasably secure and hold the weight of the planter assembly at a locking height, said locking assembly comprising a first locking mechanism associated with the planter assembly in the channel of the planter assembly and a corresponding engageable locking mechanism associated with the support structure at the locking height, whereby, upon moving the planter assembly to the locking height, the first locking mechanism automatically engages and thereby locks with the engageable locking mechanism, preventing the planter assembly from moving below the locking height, and, upon raising the planter assembly above the locking height, the first locking mechanism automatically disengages and thereby unlocks from the engageable locking mechanism allowing the planter assembly to move relative to the support structure along a continuum of heights, from the highest position to the lowest position. 12. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 11, said first locking mechanism associated with the planter assembly comprising a mechanism movable relative to the planter assembly, and said engageable locking mechanism associated with the support structure comprising a mechanism stationary relative to the support structure. 13. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 11, said first locking mechanism associated with the planter assembly comprising a mechanism stationary relative to the planter assembly, and said engageable locking mechanism associated with the support structure comprising a mechanism movable relative to the support structure. 14. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 11, said first locking mechanism associated with the planter assembly comprising a pivoting hook, and said engageable locking mechanism associated with the support structure comprising a slot for receiving a portion of the pivoting hook when moved into a locking position. 15. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 1, said planter assembly comprising a carriage movable relative to the vertical support and said planter container being supported by said carriage. 16. An adjustable planter system according to claim 15, said carriage including a plurality of hangers configured to support a plurality of objects. 17. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 15, said carriage including a carriage body to which an accessory may be attached. 18. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 17, said accessory comprising an item from the group consisting of a flag and banner. 19. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 1, said planter assembly comprising a carriage movable relative to the vertical support and said planter container being supported by said carriage, said carriage including a flange with a plurality of slots, said planter container including a plurality of hooks configured to engage said slots. 20. An adjustable height planter system according to claim 1, said planter assembly comprising a carriage movable relative to the vertical support and said planter container supported by said carriage, and said vertical support including a collar, said pulley being rotatably attached to said collar. 21. A planter system according to claim 1, said raising and lowering means comprising a winch operably coupled to said first portion of the tether assembly, said winch being adapted to retract and extend said tether assembly, and said pulley guiding said tether assembly. 22. A planter system according to claim 1, said raising and lowering means comprising a winch with a second pulley operably coupled to said first portion of the tether assembly, said winch being adapted to retract and extend said tether assembly. 23. A planter system according to claim 1, further comprising an irrigation unit attached to the vertical support, said irrigation unit having an outlet at about the highest position, a solenoid valve controlling the supply of water to the irrigation unit, said irrigation unit automatically supplying water to the planter assembly in the highest position. 24. A planter system according to claim 23, said irrigation unit supplying water to surrounding terrain beyond the planter container. 25. A planter system according to claim 23, said irrigation unit supplying misting to the planter and surrounding terrain beyond the planter container. 26. A planter system according to claim 23, said irrigation unit comprising a water fountain. 27. A planter system according to claim 1, said raising and lowering means comprising a winch operably coupled to said first portion of said tether assembly, said winch being adapted to retract and extend said tether assembly, and said winch being contained within the vertical support structure. 28. A planter system according to claim 1, said pulley guiding said tether assembly, and said raising and lowering means comprising an access panel providing access into the vertical support structure, and a removable winch removably coupled to said tether assembly through said access panel, said removable winch being adapted to retract and extend said tether assembly. 29. A planter system according to claim 1, said planter container comprising a plurality of removable, replaceable and rotatable planter vessels, said planter vessels enabling segregation of growing media and plants, independent removal and replacement of plants, said planter container supporting said planter vessels in spaced apart relation, and insulation material provided in spaces between said planter vessels for temperature control. 30. A planter system according to claim 1, further comprising a waterfall assembly including a reservoir at a bottom end of said vertical support structure, said planter container having a peripheral edge, said planter container being above the reservoir, and the irrigation unit configured to supply water through a pipe extending from the vertical support structure to beyond the peripheral edge of the planter container, said reservoir being configured to catch water supplied beyond the peripheral edge, said reservoir containing a pump configured to pump the water back to the pipe extending from the vertical support structure to beyond the peripheral edge of the planter container. 31. A planter system according to claim 1, said system further comprising a sign attached to the vertical support. 32. A planter system according to claim 1, said vertical support comprising a flag pole.