초록 ▼

A self-irrigating planter system that waters vegetation on a regular schedule using hollow upright supports to convey the water from a pump and reservoir to multiple organic-shaped pods that are attached to the upright supports in a tiered manner, and which uses gravity to deliver water so as to pro

A self-irrigating planter system that waters vegetation on a regular schedule using hollow upright supports to convey the water from a pump and reservoir to multiple organic-shaped pods that are attached to the upright supports in a tiered manner, and which uses gravity to deliver water so as to provide sustained plant growth and a healthier living environment with reduced energy usage.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A planter system comprising: an elongated upright support member having one end positioned on a horizontal surface;a plurality of individual planters, wherein each planter is attached to the upright support member via an upper hollow support bar and a lower hollow support bar, each said upper sup

1. A planter system comprising: an elongated upright support member having one end positioned on a horizontal surface;a plurality of individual planters, wherein each planter is attached to the upright support member via an upper hollow support bar and a lower hollow support bar, each said upper support bar being angled downwardly from the upright support member toward its respective planter, and each said lower hollow support bar being angled upwardly from said upright support member toward its respective planter;a first fluid delivery conduit connected between an upper hollow support bar located farthest from said horizontal surface and a fluid reservoir, wherein the fluid delivery conduit is in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir and the upper hollow support bar;a plurality of fluid return conduits, wherein each fluid return conduit connects a lower hollow support bar of a higher planter to an upper hollow support bar of a next lower planter, and provides fluid communication from an outlet of the higher planter to an inlet of the lower planter;a pump mechanism connected to the first fluid delivery conduit to deliver fluid from the reservoir through the fluid delivery conduit to the upper support bar located farthest from the horizontal surface, wherein fluid will flow from each higher planter through its respective lower support bar and fluid return conduit, and into the next lower planter through an upper support bar until it exits a lowest planter and returns to the reservoir, such that fluid will flow through each of the planters under gravity. 2. The planter system of claim 1 which further comprises a base support comprising said horizontal surface, wherein the elongated upright support member is affixed at one end to said base support. 3. The planter system of claim 1, wherein the pump mechanism is a liquid pump or an air pump. 4. The planter system of claim 2, wherein said base support comprises a hollow internal volume containing said fluid reservoir. 5. The planter system of claim 1, wherein each planter is a pod having a spherical, ellipsoid, or ovoid shape. 6. The planter system claim 1, wherein each said planter comprises a shell defining a three-dimensional space, an opening in an upper surface of the shell, and an internal volume that is configured and dimensioned to contain living plants. 7. The planter system of claim 6, wherein each planter further comprises a drain cup located within the shell of the planter that is in fluid communication with the upper hollow support bar and the lower hollow support bar, such that liquid can be delivered to a living plant within the each drain cup located in each planter. 8. The planter system of claim 7, wherein hydroponic materials are placed within an internal volume of the drain cup. 9. The planter system of claim 6, wherein the planters are cantilevered away from the upright support member. 10. The planter system of claim 1, wherein each upper hollow support bar and each lower hollow support bar are physically connected to the upright support member by a collar configured and dimensioned to freely rotate around the long axis of the upright support member, thus permitting rotation of the planters around the axis of the upright support member. 11. The planter system of claim 6, wherein each planter further comprises a second opening in a lower surface of the shell and a partition that divides the internal volume into an upper section that is accessible by the opening in the upper surface, and a lower section that is accessible by the opening in the lower surface, such that the upper and lower sections are isolated from each other, and a light fixture mounted within the lower section that can illuminate a planter located below the lower opening. 12. The planter system of claim 1, wherein the upright support member is a straight vertical column. 13. The planter system of claim 12, wherein the straight, vertical column tapers from a larger diameter at said one end positioned on said horizontal surface to a smaller diameter at an end opposite to said one end. 14. The planter system of claim 1, wherein said fluid delivery conduit comprises tubing running along an interior of said upright support member. 15. The planter system of claim 1, wherein the upright support member comprises a hollow tube that is partitioned internally into a liquid-delivery conduit and a liquid-return conduit, and wherein the pump mechanism generates enough pressure to propel water within the liquid-delivery conduit at least to a height necessary to deliver a liquid to a highest planter in liquid communication with the liquid-delivery conduit. 16. The planter system of claim 15, wherein the liquid-delivery conduit comprises tubing, and the liquid-return conduit comprises a series of separate return tubing sections, each of which places an outlet of a higher planter in fluid communication with an inlet of a next lower planter. 17. The planter system of claim 1, wherein the upright support member bends in alternate directions to form a zigzag pattern, and wherein the planters are physically connected to the upright support member at the vertices of each bend.