Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G31/00—Soilless cultivation, e.g. hydroponics
  • A01G31/02—Special apparatus therefor
  • A01G31/04—Hydroponic culture on conveyors
  • A01G31/042—Hydroponic culture on conveyors with containers travelling on a belt or the like, or conveyed by chains
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G9/00—Cultivation in receptacles, forcing-frames or greenhouses; Edging for beds, lawn or the like
  • A01G9/24—Devices or systems for heating, ventilating, regulating temperature, illuminating, or watering, in greenhouses, forcing-frames, or the like
  • A01G9/247—Watering arrangements
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P60/00—Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries
  • Y02P60/20—Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2
  • Y02P60/21—Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures

Definitions

• the present invention concerns a procedure and a device intended for the infusion of a liquid solution into growing trays (1), which consist of cultivation substrates that hold seeds alternatively plants, cuttings or embryos.
• the device is integrated with a cultivation system that automatically conveys the growing trays.
• the invention concerns a device for the infusion of a liquid solution, whereby the growing trays with the aid of a lifting mechanism determines the weight of the growing trays together with the substrate and plants.
• a liquid solution is added, which besides water may contain nutrients and/or biocides.
• the growing track has an adjustable rate of conveyance. Furthermore, there exist fixtures for providing artificial light.
• the serpentine-formed growing track forms several essentially V-shaped loops and the artificial light is arranged only to illuminate the conveyed plants from above inside the V- shaped loops respectively. Because the serpentine loops are V-shaped and the artificial lighting is placed to illuminate the inside of the divergent tracks in their V-loop from above, an optimal exposure to the artificial light is attained.
• the design description in patent document SE 467643 fulfils its intentions, it still does not include an automatic irrigation device, where a weight sensitive sensor regulates the irrigation of what is cultivated. Furthermore, the design does not include an automatic device for insertion and removal of what is cultivated to and from the apparatus.
• the purpose of the present invention is therefore to create elementary equipment that can both irrigate and transport what is grown to and from cultivation systems and the like in a cost-efficient manner.
• the invention aims to create a design that can be integrated with the cultivation system described in patent SE 467643.
• None of the above mentioned designs include a combined irrigation device that senses the need for irrigation with the aid of a weight sensor. Furthermore, none of the above mentioned designs combine a device for automatic irrigation and automatic insertion and removal of growing trays containing embryos, seeds, cuttings or plants in the cultivation substrate.
• the device according to the invention is preferably integrated with the cultivation system that is described in patent SE 467643.
• the device according to the invention may even be connected to other cultivation systems.
• the present invention is included as an integral element in the cultivation of all types of plants and more definitely as a provider of needed moisture.
• the invention hereby refers firstly to the cultivation of plants from the seed stage.
• seeds, plants, cuttings or embryos for example somatic embryos
• the liquid solution may only contain water, but it may also contain growth- enhancing nutrients. In certain cases, the liquid solution may even contain biocides.
• a distinguishing feature of the invention is that the liquid solution is introduced in an automatic manner.
• Figure 1 illustrates in a first side-view perspective a drawing of the device's vital parts.
• Figure 2 illustrates in a cross-section the device's vital parts.
• Figure 3 illustrates from an overhead view a conveyor track for growing trays.
• Figure 4 illustrates from a side-view perspective a simplified drawing of the invention's conveyer.
• Figure 5 illustrates the invention's lifting mechanism in a perspective drawing.
• Shown in figure 1 are growing trays (boxes) 1 that lie on a growing shelf 2.
• the growing shelf may have space for an arbitrary amount of growing trays.
• at least three growing trays should be placed on every growing shelf.
• the drawings in figure 1 and 4 show exactly three (divided onto three conveyors) growing shelves, whilst figure 3 shows five growing trays. This has of course no bearing on the invention's significance, because the choice of the number of growing trays is arbitrary (as long as there is room on the supports).
• the growing trays may be manufactured of different types of materials that do not have an adverse affect on either the external or the internal environment.
• examples of such a material are polyethylene plastic and so-called bioplastic, which is biodegradable in nature.
• Other biodegradable materials are wood, carton of paper pulp with or without the addition of turf fibre. Even inert materials such as aluminium can for example be used.
• the size of the growing shelf and growing tray can be arbitrarily chosen. Regarding the growing shelf, its length can vary from 0.5 meters up to 10 meters and its width from 20 cm up to 80 cm. Deviation from the given dimensions are possible, but may cause practical problems. Furthermore, the dimensions of the growing shelf are dependent on the size of the growing trays and of course their number. Adequate dimensions for the sides of the growing trays are anywhere from 100 mm up to 800 mm and their shape can be square or rectangular. In rare cases, the growing trays may have circular form. Regardless of form, the growing trays should preferably have a depth that is at least 5 mm. For irrigation from beneath the growing trays are provided with a perforated bottom.
• Conveyance of the growing shelf along with its growing tray proceeds with a speed that lies between 5 cm and 20 cm per second (3 m respectively 12 m per minute).
• the rate of movement is slow and this largely is because the growth rate of the plants is slow.
• the relatively slow speed is augmented by the conveyance being performed preferably within certain intervals. An appropriate time interval is between 2-4 minutes. So for example, conveyance can occur every third minute and under 5-10 seconds.
• Another reason for the slow rate of movement is that the plants, for example lettuce or forest saplings, in certain positions and with certain time intervals, can advantageously be exposed to artificial light. Part of the light can shine from a light source that emits ultraviolet (UV) light.
• UV ultraviolet
• liquids with nutrients may be added to the growing trays by automatic means.
• every growing tray is filled with a predetermined amount of cultivation substrate with a know moisture content.
• the substrate may be comprised of several different materials, as for example peat, sand, topsoil, soil from compost, bark or sludge.
• the total weight of the substrate and plants is weighed with great care.
• a distinguishing feature of the invention is that this weight is checked at exact intervals. In order to accomplish this automatically, the present invention is utilised.
• the growing trays are lifted off from the conveyance system for inspection, which indirectly gives a measurement of moisture and attained growth.
• the growing trays are moved with the aid of a lifting mechanism 4.
• the lifting mechanism which maybe comprised of a common telpher, includes a sensor, which after accessory correction measures the weight of the substrate and especially registers the weight of the plants. If during the above mentioned operation, it is determined that there is a need for moisture, the growing tray is carried further along and lowered into a basin 5 completely or partially filled with water.
• the water may contain nutrients or biocides.
• a relatively rapid rise in the growing tray's total weight is attained. This change in weight is registered with the aid of the earlier mentioned sensor when the growing tray is lifted from the basin.
• the growing tray In order for the cultivation substrate and the plants to receive the optimum amount of water, the growing tray is held submerged in the basin for an elective amount of time. For example, during the cultivation of pine saplings, the growing tray is held submerged in the basin for at least 20 seconds and sometimes up to 80 seconds. In those cases where the lifting mechanism's sensor notes that the absorbed amount of water is less than a predetermined norm, which in principle is equivalent to a saturated substrate, the growing tray is once again dipped into the basin after which the earlier described procedure is repeated.
• the water may even be applied via one or more nozzles (not shown in the figures) that for example can be placed on a carrier, which runs along the edges of the basin.
• the weight inspection described above also implies an indirect control of plant growth.
• a more direct measure of growth is the use of an apparatus and instrument that gives measurements in units of the metric system or other measurement systems. In its simplest form, measurement can be accomplished manually with the aid of a ruler or a yardstick. Through the use of optic measurement as for example a laser, a more exact measurement is attained and moreover measurement can be accomplished automatically as well as with registration.
• the basin is emptied of its liquid contents.
• the liquid may of course be used again if it is emptied into a suitable container.
• This container can be equipped with a filter that can filter particles from the liquid, which may have dislodged from the cultivation substrate.
• the growing trays can be placed on the conveyor for further transport to transient storage or directly to the user of for example saplings or lettuce.
• This conveyance from the system can be advantageously accomplished with the aid of a conveyor band 8.
• the growing trays can for example be loaded onto pallets or racks.
• the loading of new growing trays can be accomplished in different ways. The easiest being manual loading. Transport via a conveyor band 9, placed at the same level as the rotating conveyor can be used for more efficient handling.
• Figure 3 shows schematically a conveyor band with growing trays on which lie five growing trays with seeds and substrate that is guided to the rotatable conveyor (7).
• the new growing tray is weighed in conjunction with it being placed on one of the cultivation system's many growing shelves. Excellent control of the plant's continuing growth is maintained because the growing tray is weighed at regular time intervals.
• Most of the described working operations are regulated with the aid of computerised control techniques. This in addition facilitates the registration and storage of data such as water consumption and plant growth rate.
• FIG. 5 will help describe more closely the lifting mechanism (4), which is a vital tool for utilisation of the procedure in accordance with the invention.
• the lifting mechanism has a fixed support 10 that is comprised of several moving parts.
• a telpher 13 which can also guide the mechanism's griping claw 14 up and down, runs horizontally along the support's upper beams 11, 12. These griping claws are cross sliding.
• the telpher's and the griping claws' patterns of movement are shown by arrows (A-C) in figure 5.
• the growing trays (1) are lifted off of the cultivation system (4) for irrigation and inspection of the growth rate of the cultivated object.
• the growing trays are moved (demonstrated by arrow H) with the aid of the telpher to the basin for irrigation.
• This irrigation may be accomplished by submersion of the growing trays in a basin (5) or with the aid of nozzles 15, which apply water (with or without additives) in a position above the plants.
• the mentioned nozzles are attached to a hose 16 that in turn is conveyed by a carriage 17. This carriage is moved back and forth (illustrated by arrow I) on the basin, which thereby functions as a ramp.
• the hose with nozzles can be moved from a ramp that stretches between the support's beams (11, 12). After irrigation a reversal of the described growing tray conveyance occurs. It is clear from the description of the actual execution of the invention, that the basin after emptying its liquid solution can be rotated a half turn so that the device's conveyance band (7) will rest above the basin. This described pattern of movement is illustrated by arrows E, G and F.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Cultivation Receptacles Or Flower-Pots, Or Pots For Seedlings (AREA)
• Hydroponics (AREA)
• Mushroom Cultivation (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=33563251

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (3)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 2004
  • 2004-12-13 SE SE0403103A patent/SE0403103L/xx not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2005
  • 2005-12-13 WO PCT/SE2005/001910 patent/WO2006065210A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2005-12-13 EP EP05816691A patent/EP1924135A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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