Notification apparatus for watering houseplants

• US 6,564,509 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edward Zahner
• Original Assignee: Edward Zahner
• Inventors: Zahner, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gellner, Jeffrey L.
• Application Number:
  US10/037,708
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 47/67, 116/215, 116/200, 116/212, 116/278, 177/232, 177/233
• US Class Current: 47/67
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 27/008 Component parts, e.g. dispensing fittings, level indicators
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/024 Hanging flower pots and baskets

Abstract

A new and improved apparatus is disclosed for reminding people to water a house plant. A user would hang a house plant from an eye hook located at the bottom of the bottom of the present invention, and an included readout would indicate when a user would need to water the house plant. The top half of the readout would be red and would not be visible when the houseplant would have sufficient water. The lower half of the readout would be green and would be visible through the bottom of the apparatus when the would have sufficient water. However, the top half of the readout would start to become visible through a transparent central portion of the apparatus when the houseplant would need to be watered. At the same time, the bottom half of the readout would be pulled into the apparatus and would gradually disappear as the need for water for the houseplant would increase.

Claims

1. An apparatus for notifying individuals to water a houseplant in combination with a houseplant and houseplant container comprising:

(a) a central tube having two ends, an upper end and a lower end, the central tube being transparent,

(b) an upper housing having two ends, a first end and a second end, the first end of the upper housing being placed on the upper end of the central tube,

(c) an upper cap placed over the second end of the upper housing, the upper cap having a top

(d) a first fastening means for attaching the upper cap to the upper housing,

(e) a first eye hook attached to the top of the upper cap, the first eye hook removably attached to a ceiling surface,

(f) a lower housing having two ends, a first end and a second end, the first end of the lower housing being placed on the lower end of the central tube,

(g) a lower cap placed over the second end of the lower housing,

(h) a second fastening means for attaching the lower cap to the lower housing,

(i) a second eye hook having two ends, a first end and a second end, the first end attached to the first fastening means,

(j) a spring having two ends, a first end and a second end, the first end of the spring being attached to the second end of the second eye hook, the spring having a specific tension strength,

(k) a third eye hook having two ends, a first end and a second end, the first end of the third eye hook attached to the second end of the spring,

(l) an indicator readout bar having two ends, a first end and a second end, the indicator readout bar having a length of approximately six inches, the first end of the indicator readout bar attached to the second end of the third eye hook,

(m) a metal bar having two ends, a first end and a second end, the first end of the metal bar being attached to the second end of the indicator readout bar,

(n) a fourth eye hook having two ends, a first end and a second end, the first end of the fourth eye hook attached to the metal bar, and the second end of the fourth eye hook being attached to the houseplant container,

(o) wherein the tension in the spring would be such as to have the indicator readout bar not be viewable when the houseplant in the houseplant container has been sufficiently water, and further wherein the indicator readout bar would be viewable when the houseplant in the houseplant container would not be sufficiently watered.

2. An apparatus for notifying individuals to water a houseplant in combination with a houseplant and houseplant container according to claim 1 wherein the first fastening means for attaching the upper cap to the upper housing would comprise at least one nail, the nail being inserted through the upper cap and the upper housing.

3. An apparatus for notifying individuals to water a houseplant in combination with a houseplant and houseplant container according to claim 1 wherein the second fastening means for attaching the lower cap to the lower housing would comprise at least one nail, the nail being inserted through the lower cap and the lower housing.

4. An apparatus for notifying individuals to water a houseplant in combination with a houseplant and houseplant container according to claim 1 wherein the upper half of the indicator readout bar would be red and the lower half of the indicator readout bar would be green.