Assembly for determining if hanging plants need to be watered

• US 8,769,870 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2012
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David Jay Terhaar, Robert Dale Schutter
• Original Assignee: David Jay Terhaar, Robert Dale Schutter
• Inventors: TerHaar, David Jay, Schutter, Robert Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Kristen C
• Application Number:
  US13/546,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20130014437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 47/666, 47/79, 47/67
• US Class Current: 47/79
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 27/003 Controls for self-acting watering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/14 for weighing suspended loads G01G3/00 takes precedence; incorporation of weighing devices in cranes B66C1/40, B66C13/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/52 Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture with walking sticks A45B3/08

Abstract

A system for watering plants including a pot having a plant therein, a line carrying a hook, a watering activation switch connected to a watering system, and a pot weighing system comprising a movable arm assembly interacting with a weight switch. The pot does not move the movable arm assembly when the plant needs to be watered, whereby the movable arm assembly interacts with the weight switch to allow watering of the plant and the hook engages the plant watering activation switch to thereby activate the watering system to provide water to the plant. The pot moves the movable arm assembly when the plant does not need to be watered, whereby the movable arm assembly interacts with the weight switch to prevent activation of the watering system to prevent water from being provided to the plant.

Claims

1. A system for watering plants comprising:

a pot having a plant therein;

a line carrying a hook thereon, the hook carrying the pot;

a plant watering activation switch connected to a watering system configured to provide water to the plant in the pot; and

a pot weighing system comprising a movable arm assembly configured to interact with a weight switch;

the line carrying the pot along a path between the plant watering activation switch and the movable arm assembly of the pot weighing system;

the pot not moving the movable arm assembly of the pot weighing system when the plant in the pot needs to be watered, whereby the movable arm assembly interacts with the weight switch to allow watering of the plant in the pot and the hook engages the plant watering activation switch to thereby activate the watering system to provide water to the plant in the pot;

the pot moving the movable arm assembly of the pot weighing system when the plant in the pot does not need to be watered, whereby the movable arm assembly interacts with the weight switch to prevent activation of the watering system to prevent water from being provided to the plant in the pot.

2. The system for watering plants of claim 1, wherein:

the movable arm assembly comprises;

a hanging pivot arm hanging from a structure and pivoting relative thereto about a horizontal axis; and

a balance bar connected to the hanging pivot arm at a location distal the structure, the balance bar having an abutment arm on a first side of the hanging pivot arm and a movable weight on a second side of the hanging pivot arm.

3. The system for watering plants of claim 2, wherein:

the movable arm assembly includes a movable weight lock device for locking the movable weight in a selected position on the balance bar.

4. The system for watering plants of claim 2, wherein:

the hook abuts the balance bar to move the movable arm assembly.

5. The system for watering plants of claim 4, wherein:

a top portion of the hanging pivot arm abuts the weight switch to interact the movable arm assembly with the weight switch.

6. The system for watering plants of claim 2, further including:

an empty hook detection system for preventing activation of the watering system, the empty hook detection system including a movable bar and an empty hook detection switch;

the plant moving the movable bar of the empty hook detection system when the hook carries the plant in the pot, whereby the movable bar interacts with the empty hook detection switch to allow watering of the plant in the pot.

7. The system for watering plants of claim 6, wherein:

the empty hook detection system is on the hanging pivot arm.

8. The system for watering plants of claim 1, further including:

an empty hook detection system for preventing activation of the watering system, the empty hook detection system including a movable bar and an empty hook detection switch;

the plant moving the movable bar of the empty hook detection system when the hook carries the plant in the pot, whereby the movable bar interacts with the empty hook detection switch to allow watering of the plant in the pot.

9. A pot weighing system for determining if a plant in a pot within a structure needs to be watered, the pot weighing system comprising:

a hanging pivot arm configured to hang from the structure and pivot relative thereto about a horizontal axis;

a balance bar connected to the hanging pivot arm at a location configured to be distal the structure, the balance bar having an abutment arm on a first side of the hanging pivot arm and a movable weight on a second side of the hanging pivot arm; and

a weight switch for preventing water from being delivered to the plant in the pot;

the hanging pivot arm being moved to interact with the weight switch;

the hanging pivot arm pivoting when the plant in the pot does not need to be watered, to thereby interact with the weight switch to prevent the plant from being watered;

the hanging pivot arm not pivoting when the plant in the pot needs to be watered to thereby interact with the weight switch to allow the plant from being watered.

10. The pot weighing system of claim 9, wherein:

the movable arm assembly includes a movable weight lock device for locking the movable weight in a selected position on the balance bar.

11. The pot weighing system of claim 10, wherein:

a top portion of the hanging pivot arm abuts the weight switch to interact the hanging pivot arm with the weight switch.

12. The pot weighing system of claim 10, further including:

an empty hook detection system for preventing activation of a watering system, the empty hook detection system including a movable bar and an empty hook detection switch;

the movable bar being configured to be moved by a hook carrying the plant, whereby the movable bar interacts with the empty hook detection switch to allow watering of the plant in the pot.

13. The pot weighing system of claim 12, wherein:

the empty hook detection system is on a lower portion of the hanging pivot arm.

14. The pot weighing system of claim 9, further including:

an empty hook detection system for preventing activation of a watering system, the empty hook detection system including a movable bar and an empty hook detection switch;

the movable bar being configured to be moved by a hook carrying the plant, whereby the movable bar interacts with the empty hook detection switch to allow watering of the plant in the pot.

15. A method of watering plants comprising:

providing a pot having a plant therein;

providing a line carrying a hook thereon;

carrying the pot with the hook;

connecting a plant watering activation switch to a watering system configured to provide water to the plant in the pot;

providing a pot weighing system comprising a movable arm assembly configured to interact with a weight switch;

carrying the pot with the line along a path between the plant watering activation switch and the movable arm assembly of the pot weighing system;

not moving the movable arm assembly of the pot weighing system when the plant in the pot needs to be watered, with the movable arm assembly interacting with the weight switch and watering the plant in the pot with the watering system when the hook engages the plant watering activation switch;

moving the movable arm assembly of the pot weighing system with the pot when the plant in the pot does not need to be watered, with the movable arm assembly interacting with the weight switch to prevent activation of the watering system to prevent water from being provided to the plant in the pot.

16. The method of watering plants of claim 15, wherein:

the movable arm assembly comprises a hanging pivot arm and a balance bar;

and further including;

hanging the hanging pivot arm from a structure;

pivoting the hanging pivot arm about a horizontal axis;

connecting the balance bar to the hanging pivot arm at a location distal the structure, the balance bar having an abutment arm on a first side of the hanging pivot arm and a movable weight on a second side of the hanging pivot arm.

17. The method of watering plants of claim 16, further including:

moving the movable weight along the balance bar to alter the weight of the plant in the pot needed to activate the weight switch.

18. The method of watering plants of claim 16, wherein:

locking the movable weight in a selected position on the balance bar with a movable weight lock device.

19. The method of watering plants of claim 16, further including:

abutting the balance bar with the hook to move the movable arm assembly.

20. The method of watering plants of claim 19, wherein:

interacting the movable arm assembly with the weight switch by abutting a top portion of the hanging pivot arm with the weight switch.

21. The method of watering plants of claim 16, further including:

preventing activation of the watering system with an empty hook detection system, the empty hook detection system including a movable bar and an empty hook detection switch;

moving the movable bar of the empty hook detection system with the plant when the hook carries the plant in the pot, whereby the movable bar interacts with the empty hook detection switch to allow watering of the plant in the pot.

22. The method of watering plants of claim 21, wherein:

the empty hook detection system is on the hanging pivot arm.

23. The method of watering plants of claim 15, further including:

preventing activation of the watering system with an empty hook detection system, the empty hook detection system including a movable bar and an empty hook detection switch;

moving the movable bar of the empty hook detection system with the plant when the hook carries the plant in the pot, whereby the movable bar interacts with the empty hook detection switch to allow watering of the plant in the pot.