Precision Water Level Adjuster for a Plant Watering Device

Abstract

An apparatus and method to regulate the fluid level in a plant watering device is described. In an embodiment, the plant watering device comprises a fluid reservoir that is supported by an adapter/fluid regulator that sits within a hollow permeable plant stake. The plant stake is designed to be pressed into soil adjacent to a plant growing in the soil. The adapter sits within the plant stake and acts as a valve with a variable settings that controls the depth of water in the plant stake. Exposing the permeable plant stake to various levels of water affects the rate of permeation through the stake and thereby regulates the watering rate for the plant.

1 . An apparatus for adjusting a water level in a plant watering device comprising:
 a hollow, substantially cylindrical valve body having a top end and a bottom end with the top end of the valve body configured with:
 a fluid reservoir connector, and 
 a flange configured to rigidly support the valve body within a fluid dispenser and; 
   an outer sleeve positioned concentrically outside the valve body that is moveable by rotation about the valve body and having a top end and a bottom end; and   a vertical slot:
 in a wall of the valve body which terminates near the top end and near the bottom end of the valve body, or 
 in a wall of the sleeve which terminates near the top end and near bottom end of the sleeve; and 
   a helical slot with a pitch equal to the length of the vertical slot and which aligns with the vertical slot:
 in the wall of the sleeve which terminates near the top end and near the sleeve, provided there is a vehicle slot in the wall of the valve body, or 
 in the wall of the valve body which terminates near the top end and near the bottom end of the valve body, provider there is a vertical slot in the wall of the sleeve; and 
   a compressible gasket that is fixedly attached around the perimeter of the vertical slot and is in elastic watertight contact with either the sleeve or the valve body that has the helical slot.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the substantially cylindrical valve body and sleeve are truncated cones with the smaller diameter of the truncated cone on the bottom end of the valve body and sleeve. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the valve body is longer than the outer sleeve and has a groove near the bottom end of the valve body with a retaining ring installed below a bottom end of the outer sleeve. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein near the top of the sleeve, there is a viewport built into the sleeve which aligns with one of multiple water depth indicators that are etched or painted on the valve body. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising an elastic tab built into the bottom end of the sleeve which clicks into a receiver indentation built into the bottom end of the valve body when the sleeve is placed over the valve body, holding the sleeve in place.