DE202020002887U1 - Climatic cabinet - Google Patents

Abstract

Climatic cabinet, having a base body (1), an aerosol generator (2), an aerosol guide unit (3), a water container (4) and a UV disinfection element (20), the base body (1) having a housing (5) and a plant support ( 6), wherein the housing (5) forms an interior (18) and the plant carrier (6) which is arranged in the interior (18) and has a carrier substrate (7) and is designed to receive plants (8), with plant roots (9) can penetrate the carrier substrate (7) and emerge on a carrier substrate underside (15), the aerosol generator (2) being designed to take up a water (10) from the water container (4) and to atomize it into an aerosol (11), wherein the aerosol guide unit (3) has a circulating air fan (13), an aerosol channel (12) and a control fan (17), the circulating air fan (13) being designed to convey the aerosol (11), the aerosol channel (12) being designed to conduct the aerosol (11) and at least firstly has an aerosol outlet opening (14) which is designed to guide the aerosol (11) from the aerosol channel (12) to a carrier substrate underside (15) and has a housing opening (16), the control fan (17) of the housing opening (16) is assigned and designed to provide a pressure difference between the inner space (18) and an outer space (19), the water container (4) being designed to draw the water (10) from a water phase of the aerosol (11) which is transformed into the water (10) ), and wherein the UV disinfection element (20) is arranged in the aerosol guide unit (3) and designed to apply UV radiation to the aerosol (11).

Description

The invention relates to a climatic cabinet for growing plants.

According to the state of the art, climatic cabinets for rearing plantlings are basically known. Various technical solutions are described here. On the one hand, there are plant carriers with different nutrient solutions or nutrient media. Here, seedlings are used to make seedlings. On the other hand, there are greenhouses in which plants are grown and cultivated under controlled climatic conditions. Depending on the size of the planting room, climatic conditions can be set with air conditioning units and air humidifiers. The plants are grown in nutrient media that are largely made up of natural soil. Germ and pest control is carried out using sprayed pesticides.
Disadvantages of previous solutions are the high expenditure for the provision of the air quality, when watering, when changing the plantings, with the hygiene and when setting the required light quality. In addition, these factors cannot be regulated in a differentiated manner or can only be regulated with great effort.
In addition, previous solutions are only partially suitable for growing plants at home and in the hobby area. The hygiene standards required with regard to bacterial and fungal infestation cannot be adequately controlled and maintained. The application of plant protection products and pesticides is also restricted by law or damages the quality features of plant-based products on the market.
In DE 10 2019 101 697 B 3 describes, for example, a solution with a controlled water supply, a water circuit being provided for this purpose. The water cycle is sterilized by UVC radiation. The disadvantage is that returning water picks up impurities from the seed mats, which impair hygiene or have to be removed by additional devices.

The object of the invention is to provide a device for growing plants, which provides adaptable climatic factors such as temperature, humidity and lighting, enables easy changing of the plantings, has effective protection against microbiological contamination and can be operated without microbiological emissions to the environment .

The object is achieved by a device with the features listed in claim 1. Preferred developments emerge from the subclaims.

The air conditioning cabinet according to the invention has, as basic components, a base body, an aerosol generator, an aerosol guide unit, a water container and a UV disinfection element.

According to the invention, the base body consists of a housing which forms an interior space. The housing is preferably box-shaped. However, it can also be designed in a prismatic, cylindrical or mixed form. The housing preferably completely encloses the interior space and can be made completely or partially transparent in order to enable a person to look inside.

At least one plant carrier is arranged in the interior, which has a carrier substrate. The plant carrier is preferably constructed in the form of a bowl or flat. Ideally, the bottom area consists of a grid-like structure in order to hold the carrier substrate in the desired position and at the same time to remain penetrable. The carrier substrate is designed to receive plants in such a way that their roots, hereinafter referred to as plant roots, penetrate the carrier substrate and can emerge on a carrier substrate underside and through the grid-shaped plant carrier. This means that these plant roots hang freely in the interior.
The aerosol generator is designed to take up water from the water container and to atomize it into an aerosol. It is preferably an ultrasonic nebulizer. This generates high-frequency mechanical vibrations, preferably by an electrically driven vibrating element. The vibrations can be regulated in frequency and intensity in order to control the amount of aerosol produced.

The aerosol guide unit has a circulating air fan, an aerosol channel and at least one control fan. The aerosol guide unit is preferably designed in the form of a closed channel system.

The circulating air fan is designed to deliver the aerosol. It is preferably also powered electrically. Thus, the speed and the resulting aerosol flow can be regulated in terms of speed and quantity.
The aerosol channel is designed to guide the aerosol. It has at least one aerosol outlet opening and is designed to guide the aerosol from the aerosol channel to the underside of the carrier substrate. The at least one aerosol outlet opening, but preferably a plurality of aerosol outlet openings, are arranged for this purpose in such a way that the aerosol flow emitted by them is directed onto the underside of the carrier substrates and thus onto the freely hanging plant roots, so that the The water phase of the aerosol can knock off at the plant roots and is thus available as plant-available water. Furthermore, the aerosol channel has at least one housing opening. The housing opening connects the interior with the environment, hereinafter referred to as the exterior.

The control fan is assigned to the housing opening and is designed to provide a pressure difference between the interior and an exterior. The control fan is also preferably electrically driven and controllable. The control fan can be designed in such a way that it either works exclusively in one direction - that is, conveys air into the interior of the housing or, conversely, conveys it outward from the interior of the housing - or can work in both directions, depending on the operating status requirement. In this way, depending on the design of the control fan, a media flow from the interior to the exterior and vice versa can be adapted. In this context, a media flow is summarized as an aerosol flow or an air flow from the interior into the exterior and an air flow from the exterior into the interior.

According to the invention, the water container is designed to receive the water from a water phase of the aerosol that is transformed into the water. It is preferably arranged as a drip pan in the bottom area of the housing and preferably completely spans it. In this way, the water phase of the precipitating aerosol can be captured and a water reservoir can be formed. Optionally, the housing itself can form the water container in its lower section. By arranging the aerosol generator in the water container, new aerosol can be formed again from the water reservoir. This circulatory system saves the constant supply of new water and thus saves resources.

Furthermore, a UV disinfection element is arranged in the aerosol guide unit. This is designed to apply UV radiation to the aerosol. It is preferably an arrangement of UV LEDs, with different radiation geometries being possible, which are preferably adapted in particular to the aerosol channel.

The solution is particularly characterized in that the irrigation takes place via a water / air aerosol, here referred to as aerosol for short, which is generated with the aerosol generator, usually an ultrasonic mist generator. In addition, the aerosol is circulated in the interior by the circulating air fan and thus forms an aerosol flow. The aerosol flow moves directly in the area of the aerosol channel and as a return flow in the rest of the interior. The amount and the flow rate of the aerosol stream can be adjusted via the speed of the circulating air fan and the vibration intensity of the ultrasonic mist maker. This is based on the fact that the circulating air fan draws in partly newly generated aerosol and partly depleted aerosol from the return line and guides it into the aerosol channel. The water phase in the aerosol can be reduced and vice versa by means of a high circulating air fan output and a low ultrasonic misting output. Optional sensors in the aerosol duct and interior can measure the air and aerosol quality. A control unit then regulates the operating states of the ultrasonic sensor and the circulating air fan and thus indirectly the growth conditions. As a result, the conditions in the climatic cabinet according to the invention can be regulated at any time.

The generated aerosol flow is guided along the UV disinfection element and in this way exposed to UV radiation in microbiologically effective wavelengths. This kills germs before the aerosol reaches the plant carriers. According to the invention, the aerosol is guided to the root area of the plants on the underside of the carrier substrate, so that the water phase from the aerosol attaches there on contact and supplies the plants with water. One advantage of the aerosol produced and released in this way is that even the smallest particles and nutrients remain in the water droplets and reach the plant through absorption in the plant roots.

It is a particular advantage of the invention that a solution has been found that both the air, the interior space and the water required by the plants as the air phase and the water phase of the aerosol are disinfected at the same time using the same and simultaneously occurring process. Air and air phase and water and water phase are also referred to collectively below as the media.

Thus, advantageously, only one device for disinfection is required for both media together, with which a structurally simple and inexpensive solution is achieved.

Another particular advantage is that both media are disinfected at the same time. This overcomes the disadvantage of possible transfer of germs between the media, which is possible according to the prior art if only the water or the air and the water are disinfected separately.

This particularly advantageously means that the formation of biofilms on the walls of the climatic cabinet is suppressed.

In addition, germs taken up by the plant shells in the air phase, in particular mold, may be neutralized. In this way, germ emissions that are harmful to health are prevented as a further advantage. The climate cabinet can be set up safely in living rooms. The monitoring of indoor air quality also contributes to this. This can be logged and saved as evidence for sensitive areas.

Thanks to the combination of control unit and controllable elements, the climate in the interior can be sensitively controlled and, in the case of optional sensors, also regulated. In particular, the mass ratio of water phase and air phase in the aerosol can be set and changed continuously according to user requirements without additional means. Another advantage is that the controllability and optional controllability also allow the efficiency and resource consumption to be controlled.

The climatic cabinet is advantageously also optionally designed in such a way that it can be operated in two different operating states in push-pull. On the one hand, it is the circulation mode already described and, on the other hand, it is an air exchange mode,

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the climate cabinet is characterized in that the plant carrier is assigned an upwardly opening shell which has a shell interior, the underside of the carrier substrate facing the shell interior and the at least one aerosol outlet opening being designed to guide the aerosol into the shell interior .

In a climatic cabinet with several plant carriers, there are preferably the same number of trays and each of the plant carriers preferably rests on a tray.

In this development, the climatic cabinet particularly preferably also has a return line which guides the aerosol out of the shell space so that the aerosol can be returned to the circuit via the circulating air fan by means of the aerosol guide unit. In addition, the return line is preferably arranged such that it connects the bowl with the water container and drains water that settles on the inner walls of the bowl or drips from the underside of the carrier substrate into the water container.

According to this development, the aerosol is thus directed into the interior of the shell and advantageously comes into particularly intensive contact with the underside of the carrier substrate, so that there the water can knock off from the water phase and supply the roots. At the same time, the rest of the interior space is not or less intensively washed around by the aerosol, so that there the water from the water phase does not precipitate or only to a lesser extent. This further development thus has the additional advantage that the risk of germs forming on the housing walls is reduced even further and the cleaning effort is reduced. In addition, those plants can advantageously also be raised for which direct wetting of the plant parts above the roots is disadvantageous.

According to an advantageous development, the climatic cabinet is designed to provide a circulation operating state and an air exchange operating state.

In the circulation operating state, the control fan is either inactive or it is designed to generate the pressure difference as an overpressure in the interior space in a supply air operation.

As far as the control fan is inactive according to the first alternative of the circulation operating state, there is essentially no pressure difference between the interior and the exterior, so that the aerosol is circulated and circulated by means of the circulating air fan, with essentially no transfer of media between the interior and the the outside space.

As far as the control fan according to the second alternative of the circulation mode is running in a supply air mode, the pressure difference between the interior and exterior is generated as an interior overpressure. As a result of the supply air operation, a dynamic pressure is formed in the aerosol channel, which is opposed to the aerosol pressure generated by the circulating air fan. In this way, in particular, an unwanted transfer of media from the interior into the exterior via the housing opening can be counteracted. In this reverse operation, the control fan is preferably operated at low power, so that only a low dynamic pressure is formed so as not to impair the aerosol circulation.

In contrast, in the air exchange operating state, the control fan generates the pressure difference as the interior negative pressure in an exhaust air operation. The control fan in the aerosol channel is used to guide a media flow out of the interior through the housing opening in the housing wall. Air flows in through housing joints or an optional pressure equalization opening from the outside into the inside, so that the air is exchanged. Here, the exhaust air is optionally exposed to UV radiation further UV disinfection element in the vicinity in front of the exhaust fan. The further UV disinfection element is designed such that the medium flowing out of the housing opening into the outer space is germ-free or at least germ-reduced. In the air exchange operating state, the circulating air fan can optionally be switched off or also active.

According to a further advantageous development, the climatic cabinet has a plurality of plant carriers. At the same time, the aerosol channel has a plurality of aerosol outlet openings which are arranged sequentially. Arranged sequentially is understood to mean an arrangement one after the other in a row along the aerosol flow.
By means of the pressure difference, the aerosol can be discharged from all or from parts of the aerosol outlet openings. Depending on the power with which the control fan is operated in reverse operation, a dynamic pressure or media flow of different levels is directed against the aerosol flow. With a sufficiently low power of the control fan, the aerosol flow reaches all of the aerosol outlet openings arranged one after the other, so that all the plant carriers are supplied by the aerosol flow. With an increase in the output of the control fan and thus the dynamic pressure, the aerosol flow is pushed back and no longer reaches the last or the last aerosol outlet openings. Rather, the aerosol flow is diverted through the first or the first aerosol outlet openings, so that only the respectively assigned plant carriers are supplied with the aerosol.

This allows the supply of the plants to be controlled depending on the occupancy of the climate cabinet. One advantage of this development is that only a smaller aerosol flow has to be circulated if fewer than the possible total number of plants are applied in the climatic cabinet. Only the plant carriers of the first or the first aerosol outlet openings can then be occupied and only these can be supplied with an aerosol flow. Furthermore, by means of this development, plant species with different water requirements can be grown simultaneously on the different plant carriers in the climatic chamber. Plants with a lower water requirement can be applied to the last plant carrier or carriers, which are then only temporarily acted upon with the aerosol flow through a time control of the power of the control fan, while the first or the first plant carriers are supplied with the aerosol permanently or more frequently.

According to a further advantageous development, the climatic cabinet has at least one light source. The plant carrier is thus exposed to a light.
The advantage of this solution is that each plant carrier can be individually irradiated with light of different wavelengths. Different plants can be grown on each plant carrier. The light conditions can be regulated independently of the plant and time of day in order to create ideal growing conditions. In addition, it is possible to adjust the light conditions as a function of the time of day in adaptation to the biorhythm of the plants and, for example, to increase the natural exposure intensity or to extend the exposure time.

According to another advantageous development, a further UV disinfection element is assigned to the control fan. As a result, the air flowing out can be cleaned and released aseptically in the air exchange operating state. This prevents contamination of the environment and the climate chamber can be operated in sensitive areas such as living rooms.

In an advantageous variant, it is also possible that the UV disinfection element and the further UV disinfection element are structurally combined so that both the aerosol for the circulation operation and the aerosol for the air exchange operation can be disinfected with just one UV radiation source.

According to a further advantageous development, the housing has a pressure equalization opening. The pressure compensation opening is preferably designed as a spring-loaded flap or membrane. Optionally, this can only be designed to open inwards.

The pressure equalization opening can be designed as an opening, but optionally also in several parts, that is to say in a plurality of openings which can be arranged at different points on the housing. A multi-part opening enables, for example, advantageous air flushing in the air exchange operating state.

This opening is closed during normal operation of the circulation mode and seals the interior from the exterior. Since the pressure compensation opening is closed by a resilient mechanism and the slight overpressure prevailing in the interior during circulation operation, the air is prevented from flowing out of the housing.
In the air exchange operating state, there is a negative pressure in the interior due to the air flowing out of the housing opening. This opens the pressure equalization opening and fresh air flows in from the environment. Thanks to the actively controllable air exchange, the climatic conditions in the Climatic cabinet can be provided as required.

Figure list

• 1 Schematic representation as a section of the side view of the entire climate chamber
• 2 Schematic representation as a section of the side view for the circulation operating state.
• 3 Schematic representation as a section of the side view for the air exchange operating state.
• 4th Schematic representation as a section of the side view of the entire climate control cabinet with improved aerosol guidance explained in more detail.

The 1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the climatic cabinet.

This essentially consists of a base body 1 , an ultrasonic nebulizer 2 , an aerosol guide unit 3 and a water container 4th . The basic body 1 encloses all components. The water container 4th is at the bottom of the body 1 arranged and serves as a container for the water 10 . This is where the aerosol generator is located on the surface of the water 2 , which is designed as an ultrasonic fogger and out of the water 10 the aerosol 11 forms. The aerosol guide unit is placed over it and on one side of the base body 3 showing the aerosol channel 12 having. In the exemplary embodiment, this extends vertically essentially over the entire base body 1 and serves as a control system for the aerosol 11 . The air circulation fan 13 is at the entrance of the aerosol channel 12 near the aerosol generator 2 arranged. The UV disinfection element follows in the aerosol flow direction 20th . Continue along the aerosol channel 12 follow the aerosol outlet openings 14th , another UV disinfection element 22nd and a control fan 17th . The case opening 16 closes at the end of the aerosol channel 12 at which a transition from the interior 18th to the outside 19th provides.
In the basic body 1 are still the plant carriers 6th each with an aerosol outlet opening 14th arranged. The plant carrier 6th takes the carrier substrate 7th and the plants it contains 8th on, with the plant roots 9 on the underside of the carrier substrate 15th freely in the interior 18th hang. Above the plant carriers 6th is at least one light source 21st arranged that the light is directed towards the plants 8th gives.
On one side of the body 1 is also a pressure compensation opening 23 appropriate. This is spring-loaded as an automatic locking mechanism and equipped with a sealing function.

The 2 shows the circulation operating state in a schematic representation and a first embodiment variant of the climatic cabinet. The flow conditions are shown by arrows without reference symbols.

These are the circulating air fan 13 and the control fan 17th switched in opposite directions. The pressure equalization opening 23 is locked. This creates an aerosol flow that starts from the aerosol channel 12 , via the aerosol outlet openings into the interior 18th pours and aerosol 11 to the plant roots 9 leads. There the water phase partially precipitates and thus stands the plants 8th to disposal. After flooding the interior 18th the depleted aerosol flow becomes via the aerosol generator 2 with a new aerosol 11 enriched and in the aerosol guide unit 3 initiated. This creates a circulation flow that permanently floods the climatic chamber.

The 3 shows the air exchange operating state in a schematic representation and in a first embodiment variant of the climatic cabinet. The flow conditions are also shown here by arrows without reference symbols.

This serves to keep the air inside 18th with the air of the outside space 19th to exchange. The circulating air fans run for this 13 and the control fan 17th in the same direction. Via the housing opening 16 becomes the first aerosol from the interior 18th in the outside space 19th carried out. In addition, there is an inflow of media resulting from the negative pressure in the aerosol channel 12 in the interior. The pressure equalization opening 23 opens and leaves due to the negative pressure in the interior 18th Air from outside 19th in the interior 18th pour in. The further disinfection element 22nd is switched on and ensures the disinfection of the outflowing air.

The 4th shows the climatic cabinet in an embodiment with a further improved aerosol guidance.

In its basic structure, the climatic cabinet in this exemplary embodiment corresponds to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG 1 so that the description content too 1 also for 4th apply unless the following additions apply.

In addition, in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG 4th the climatic cabinet for each of the two plant carriers 6th a bowl 24 on. The bowls are so at the aerosol outlets 14th arranged that the aerosol 11 into the shell interior 25th is initiated. The carrier substrate underside 15th is from the aerosol 11 washes around, so that the water phase settles there and the water present around the plants 8th can supply. over the return line 26th the depleted aerosol is released from the interior of the bowl 25th executed. As far as water drips off or emerges from the aerosol on the inner walls of the bowl 24 knocks off, it will be in the shells 24 collected and via the return line 26th into the water container 4th returned.

List of reference symbols

1

Base body

2

Aerosol generator

3

Aerosol guide unit

4th

Water container

5

casing

6th

Plant carriers

7th

Carrier substrate

8th

plants

9

Plant roots

10

water

11

Aerosol

12

Aerosol channel

13

Circulating air fan

14th

Aerosol outlet openings

15th

Carrier substrate underside

16

Housing opening

17th

Control fan

18th

inner space

19th

Outside space

20th

UV disinfection element

21st

Light source

22nd

further UV disinfection element

23

Pressure compensation opening

24

Bowl

25th

Shell interior

26th

Return line

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent literature cited

• DE 102019101697 B [0002]

Claims (7)

Climatic cabinet, having a base body (1), an aerosol generator (2), an aerosol guide unit (3), a water container (4) and a UV disinfection element (20), wherein the base body (1) has a housing (5) and a plant carrier (6), the housing (5) forming an interior (18) and the plant carrier (6) which is arranged in the interior (18) and a carrier substrate ( 7) and is designed to receive plants (8), with plant roots (9) penetrating the carrier substrate (7) and being able to emerge from a carrier substrate underside (15), wherein the aerosol generator (2) is designed to take up a water (10) from the water container (4) and to atomize it into an aerosol (11), the aerosol guide unit (3) having a circulating air fan (13), an aerosol channel (12) and a Control fan (17), the circulating air fan (13) being designed to convey the aerosol (11), the aerosol channel (12) being designed to guide the aerosol (11) and having at least one aerosol outlet opening (14) which is designed to guide the aerosol (11) from the aerosol channel (12) to a carrier substrate underside (15), and having a housing opening (16), the control fan (17) being assigned to the housing opening (16) and being designed, a pressure difference between the interior space (18) and an outside space (19), wherein the water container (4) is designed to receive the water (10) from a water phase of the aerosol (11) which is transformed into the water (10), and wherein the UV disinfection element (20) is arranged in the aerosol guide unit (3) and is designed to apply UV radiation to the aerosol (11). Climatic cabinet after Claim 1 characterized in that the plant carrier (6) is assigned an upwardly opening shell (24) which has a shell interior (25), the carrier substrate underside (15) facing the shell interior and the at least one aerosol outlet opening (14) being formed which To direct aerosol (11) into the shell interior (25). Climatic cabinet according to one of the Claims 1 or 2 characterized in that the air-conditioning cabinet is designed to provide a circulation operating state and an air exchange operating state, the control fan (17) being designed to be inactive in the circulation operating state or to generate the pressure difference as an interior overpressure in the air supply operating state, the control fan (17) in the air exchange operating state ) is designed to generate the pressure difference as an interior negative pressure in an exhaust air mode. Climatic cabinet after Claim 3 , characterized in that the climatic cabinet has a plurality of plant carriers (6), the aerosol channel (12) having a plurality of aerosol outlet openings (14) and these are arranged sequentially, the aerosol (11) from or from all aerosol openings by means of the pressure difference Parts of the aerosol outlet openings (14) can be diverted. Climate cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the climate cabinet has at least one light source (21) with which the plant carrier (6) can be exposed to a light Climate cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a further UV disinfection element (22) is assigned to the control fan (17). Climate cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing has a pressure equalization opening (23).

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