Flower pot

• US 7,610,717 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2002
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gebr. Poeppelmann Kunststoffwek-Wekzeugbau
• Original Assignee: Gebr. Poeppelmann Kunststoffwek-Werkzeugbau
• Inventors: Lüken, Reinhard, Sieverding, Alfons
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenti; Andrea M
• Application Number:
  US10/487,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,656 Days
• Field of Search: 47/67, 47/65, 47/655, 47/83, 47/666, 248/317, 248/318, 248/320, 248/322, 248/339, 248/328, 248/100, 248/359, D11/143, D11/144, D11/152, D11/153, D65/66, D65/56, 244/57, 244/58, 245/55
• US Class Current: 47/67
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/021 Pots formed in one piece; Materials used therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 7/047 Devices for suspending flower-pots by wires or the like A47G7/042 and A47G7/045 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/08 Deep drawing or matched-mould forming, i.e. using mechanical means only
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7136 Vases, pots, e.g. for flowers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44017 with specific mounting means for attaching to rigid or semirigid supporting structure or structure-to-be-secured
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44855 Terminal end of resilient member having engagement or disengagement enhancing structural modifications

Abstract

The invention relates to a flower pot (1) made of deep drawn plastic material and provided for a hanging flower pot wherein a suspension part (2) comprises a plurality of strands (5) that are linked via hook clips (3) with the pot rim (4) that has an outer continuous contour. The aim of the invention is to provide a flower pot that, in accordance with the special technical conditions during the deep drawing, is provided with a fixation of the seat (7) of the hook clips (3), while maintaining a good distribution of suspension loads between the pot and the hook clips and safeguarding an appealing yet easy to handle shape. To achieve this aim, the pot rim (4) has tapered sections extending inwards towards a wall contiguous with the bottom. These tapered sections form a seat (7) for the hook clips (3).

Claims

1. Flowerpot made of a deep-drawn plastic for a hanging basket, the flowerpot comprising:

a deep-drawn plastic pot having an upper pot edge which is provided with a continuous and uniform contour on the outside;

wherein the upper pot edge is provided with an arched contour on the outside;

a hanger including multiple strands which are connected by hook clamps to the upper pot edge;

wherein the upper pot edge has a plurality of narrowed zones symmetrically spaced-apart about an inside circumference of the upper pot edge and belonging to a wall that is connected at a bottom of the pot;

wherein the upper pot edge is the uppermost surface of the pot and the narrowed zones are located in the uppermost surface of the pot;

wherein the upper pot edge is narrower in a direction perpendicular to the wall at the narrowed zones than at portions of the upper pot edge circumferentially adjacent to the narrowed zones; and

wherein each of the narrowed zones forms a seat for one of the hook clamps.

2. Flowerpot according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate step circumscribing an inside surface of the wall is located below the narrowed zones between the pot edge and the bottom and forms upward-facing widened areas at the narrowed zones and the widened areas form a portion of the seats for the hook clamps, and wherein the widened areas of the step are wider in a direction perpendicular to the wall at the narrowed zones than at portions of the step circumferentially adjacent to the narrowed zones.

3. Flowerpot according to claim 1, wherein the narrowed zones are dimensioned in the circumferential direction to just fit the widest hook clamps that are provided.

4. Flowerpot according to claim 1, wherein the hook clamps engage tightly beneath the pot edge against an inside surface of the wall at the narrowed zones.

5. Flowerpot according to claim 1, wherein a periphery of the pot edge has a down turned collar at least in the area of the narrowed zones and the hook clamps reach around the collar to be in supporting contact beneath the pot edge.

6. Flowerpot according to claim 5, wherein the collar surrounds the pot edge (4) entirely and forms the continuous peripheral contour of the pot edge.

7. Flowerpot according to claim 1 wherein the flowerpot is drawn from a flat starting material with a thickness between 1 mm and 1.8 mm and has a wall thickness of less than 0.3 mm in some areas.

8. Flowerpot according to claim 1, wherein the narrowed zones fix the hook clamps against migration about the circumference of the upper pot edge.

9. Flowerpot according to claim 1, wherein the upper pot edge is substantially circular on the outside.

10. Flowerpot according to claim 2, wherein each of the widened areas is bordered on both sides in the circumferential direction by end walls that form approximately a right angle with the wall.

11. Flowerpot according to claim 2, wherein the narrowed zones are dimensioned in the circumferential direction to just fit the widest hook clamps that are provided.

12. Flowerpot according to claim 2, wherein the hook clamps engage tightly beneath the pot edge against an inside surface of the wall at the narrowed zones.

13. Flowerpot according claim 2, wherein a periphery of the pot edge has a down turned collar at least in the area of the narrowed zones and the hook clamps reach around the collar to be in supporting contact beneath the pot edge.

14. Flowerpot according to claim 13, wherein the collar surrounds the pot edge entirely and forms the continuous peripheral contour of the pot edge.

15. Flowerpot according to claim 2, wherein the flowerpot is drawn from a flat starting material with a thickness between 1 mm and 1.8 mm and has a wall thickness of less than 0.3 mm in some areas.

16. Flowerpot according to claim 2, wherein the hook clamps engage the widened areas.

17. Flowerpot according to claim 2 or 10, wherein the intermediate step has a height which determines the seat of the hook clamp in an engaged position.

18. Flowerpot made of a deep-drawn plastic for a hanging basket, the flowerpot comprising:

a deep-drawn plastic pot having an upper pot edge which is provided with a continuous and uniform contour on the outside;

wherein the upper pot edge is provided with an arched contour on the outside;

a hanger including multiple strands which are connected by hook clamps to the upper pot edge;

wherein the upper pot edge has a plurality of narrowed zones symmetrically spaced-apart about an inside circumference of the upper pot edge and belonging to a wall that is connected at a bottom of the pot;

wherein the upper pot edge is the uppermost surface of the pot and the narrowed zones are located in the uppermost surface of the pot;

wherein the upper pot edge is narrower in a direction perpendicular to the wall at the narrowed zones than at portions of the upper pot edge circumferentially adjacent to the narrowed zones;

wherein an intermediate step circumscribing an inside surface of the wall is located below the narrowed zones between the pot edge and the bottom and forms upward-facing widened areas at the narrowed zones;

wherein the widened areas are engaged by the hook clamp;

wherein the widened areas of the step are wider in a direction perpendicular to the wall at the narrowed zones than at portions of the step circumferentially adjacent to the narrowed zones;

wherein a periphery of the pot edge has a down turned collar at least in the area of the narrowed zones and the hook clamps reach around the collar at the narrowed zones to be in supporting contact beneath the pot edge; and

wherein each of the narrowed zones forms a seat for one of the hook clamps.

19. Flowerpot according to claim 18, wherein the upper pot edge is substantially circular on the outside.