ES2715672B2 - CAPILLARITY SELF-IRRIGATION DEVICE FOR POTS WITH DRAIN, WHICH SUPPLIES WATER FROM THE SURFACE OF THE POT TO THE BOTTOM - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

SELF-IRRIGATION DEVICE BY CAPILLARITY, FOR MACETAS WITH DRAINAGE. THAT SUPPLIES WATER FROM THE SURFACE OF THE MACETA TO THE FUND

SECTOR OF THE TECHNIQUE

Capillarity self-irrigation device

Plants grown in pots present the problem of a need for constant irrigation attention, to keep them alive and growing. To solve the problem of irrigation, there are pots with capillary self-irrigation called hydrojardineras. The setbacks of the self-irrigation are: that it needs an appropriate flow since a lot of water can cause the roots to rot and little drying of the plant and that the form of self-irrigation by the bottom creates the accumulation of salts on the surface of the pot.

The present invention allows a pot with drainage to also function as a self-irrigating hydrojardinera, therefore it falls within the sector of self-irrigation systems by capillarity and that of hydrojardineras.

The present invention proposes a new self-irrigation device by capillarity, which added to a pot with drainage, provides self-irrigation by capillarity making it function as a hydrojardinera. The self-irrigation device supplies the water from the surface of the pot to the bottom of it, this together with the existence of drainage allows irrigation, rain and outdoor use. Thus the pots with this device can be placed indoors or outdoors, while achieving a greater benefit from the rain or irrigation water supplied in excess by including an indirectly filled tank and an improved water content display system In the deposit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a capillary self-irrigation device, which allows drained pots to function as hydrojardineras that incorporate wicks for capillary self-irrigation.

The invention is included within the sector of capillary self-irrigation devices. Self-irrigation designed to avoid frequent watering without the problems of hydro-garden plants In self-irrigation systems the substrate incorporates water from a tank through wicks, practically all these systems have a water supply from the bottom of the pot, the wicks split from the tank to its surface that matches the bottom of the pot. This type of irrigation has an inadequate functioning since the rotting of the bottom substrate due to anoxia and the death of the roots of the plant in contact with this stratum occurs repeatedly. In addition, the evapotranspiration process causes these systems to accumulate salts on the surface in the form of a whitish layer that prevents irrigation from the surface of the pot because water would drag these salts inside killing the plant.

Capillarity self-irrigation has the problem that the substrate of the bottom layer, close to the deposit, in contact with the wicks is very wet and hardly oxygenated so that it eventually becomes rotten. The rotten substrate excessively retains water so it is not suitable for all plants.

Another of the disadvantages of these devices is that they constitute a closed system that does not allow traditional irrigation from the surface of the pot, since they would be flooded because they do not have drainage holes, so they can hardly be placed outdoors or that the plants are normally watered or receive rainwater; but also the excess of water in the bottom of this type of self-irrigation, favors the accumulation of salts on the surface of the pot. The few pots with this type of self-irrigation that also allow irrigation on the surface by having drainage holes just above the tank, have the disadvantage that with the irrigation the salts deposited on the surface will be dragged to the bottom of the pot, and Depending on the total accumulated, they could kill the plants grown there.

Likewise, these self-irrigation systems only contemplate the direct filling of the water container through a tube. By not considering the possibility of water supplies, such as irrigation or rainwater, neither will it be done with the Indirect filling through microfilters that collect excess water from irrigation or rain.

Another problem presented by the state of the art is that almost all of these self-irrigation systems have the same type of cotton wick for the autoregium, a very efficient wick in the conduction of water, without taking into account that, not all Plants need the same amount of water supplied by the wicks and that almost always the flow is excessively administered in addition to doing so at the bottom of the pot with the problems it entails. Depending on the material from which the wick is made and its diameter, the water available to the plant will be different, so cotton wick is not always the ideal option.

Finally, another of the most frequent disadvantages is that the water level display system of the tank is a rod attached to a buoy that will more or less surface through a tube depending on the amount of water contained in the tank and Although this rod is effective, it is easily subtractible and misleading, since it presents doubts to the inexperienced user who often does not know what the red rod means.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides notable novel features that constitute a very significant improvement of capillary self-irrigation devices currently known.

This invention is constituted by a capillary self-irrigation device for insertion into a pot with drainage. The fact that the device has drainage holes that are coupled with those of the pot allows this pot to be located both inside and outside so that in addition to allowing irrigation and rainfall, it has self-irrigation.

The device of self-irrigation by capillarity with wicks constitutes a novelty compared to everything known so far. Its base configures the container water container for self-supply to the plant. Being hollow in the place of coincidence with the main hole of the pot in which it is inserted to allow the drainage of the surplus water to the outside.

The central tube of the tank will have in its upper part near the lid several holes that will act as an overflow, allowing water to escape from the tank when it is very full, also allowing the entry of air that facilitates the oxygenation of the waters of the tank, essential but not essential circulation, since air will also enter through the filling tube.

The cover of this tank will be built on three circular platforms at different levels, one sunk forming a channel between the other two higher platforms. This sunken platform will have two large holes incorporated, one for the water level indicator tube of the prolonged container to the bottom of the tank with a polished tube and the other for the direct filling tube of the tank. The rest of the canal will have holes with microfilters that will allow the indirect filling of the tank with the passage of leftover filtered water from irrigation or rain. Therefore we have a novelty that no other self-irrigation device by known capillarity incorporates, the possibility of filling the water tank by two different routes: the direct filling by a tube or indirectly through the microfilters.

Virtually all known capillary self-irrigation devices have a water supply through the bottom of the cultivation substrate, which exhibits an inadequate functioning of the same, since repeatedly excess water is produced at the bottom that can cause the substrate to rot and the roots of the plant in the strata closest to the deposit as well as the salinization on the surface of the substrate that this system solves.

At the highest level in the center of the tank lid there are waterproof pipes through which the wicks will rise up to almost the surface of the pot to go out and down to the bottom of the pot so that the self-irrigation always occurs from the surface at the bottom solving the majority of problems presented by capillary self-irrigation devices known as a consequence of the self-irrigation form. In addition, these waterproof tubes have the peculiarity of finishing in a conical way so they can be cut to fit the wick size, this allows cords or wicks of different diameter and different materials to ensure the best self-watering of the plants can be used . For example, the use of braided propylene rope allows lower water flows than the exclusive use of classic cotton wicks with the advantage that they are also more durable, this also provides the ability to control the amount of flow of water that is supplied through the wicks in the self-irrigation and make this type of self-irrigation devices by capillarity susceptible to use for almost all types of plants.

The level indicator allows the user to know in a visual and simple way the water content of the tank. A transparent tube terminated in a perforated tube inside the tank that ends, on the outside, in a cap that incorporates in its center a small red tube. Transparent tube that carries inside a floating buoy attached to a rod that ends in a hollow blue tube that is inserted over the red tube of the cap so that at the maximum water level only the blue tube is seen since the red tube will be completely invisible inside the blue tube but as the water descends the red tube is visualized. The user distinguishes full blue deposit, compared to empty red deposit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description, where illustrative and non-limiting nature has been represented. next:

Figure 1. Perspective view of the pot with the self-irrigation device by capillarity inside. This view is necessary to show the invention in context.

Figure 2. Perspective view of the self-irrigation device by capillary without pot. This view is necessary to appreciate the different elements of the device.

Figure 3. Perspective view of the self-irrigation device by capillarity. This view is important to show clearly how the elements of the device interact with the tank as well as to show the conductive waterproof tube of the wicks, the path of the wicks and the drain tube.

Figure 4. Perspective view of the tank. This view is important to show the deposit and its overflows.

Figure 5. Bottom perspective view of the platform. This view is important to show the plastic drain outlet pipe as well as the pore tube that will hug the level gauge and drain filters

.Figure 6. Lateral view in final section of the water level signaling system of the tank. This view is important to show clearly how the elements of the signaling system interact.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

As can be seen in Figure 1, this invention is constituted by a capillary self-irrigation device for inserting into a pot (10) with a central drain hole (16) that is coupled with the self-irrigation device drain (14, 15), figures 1, 23, which allows it to be located both inside and outside allowing watering and rain.

The device of self-irrigation by capillarity, figures 1,2, 3 and 4, with wicks that constitutes a novelty compared to everything known so far. This device consists of a hollow tank (19) in the center (15) coinciding with the central hole of the pot (16), figure 1, to allow the drain of the device and the pot to drain, this hollow tube The central part of the tank has several holes in its upper part (13) that will allow the tank to drain when it is full, figures 3,4.

The cover of this tank (20, 21 and 22), figures 1, 2, 3 and 5, is built on three circular platforms at different levels, the exterior and the central one at a higher level (20, 22) causing the intermediate platform is sunk between both (21) forming a channel, figures 1, 2, 3.

The sunken intermediate platform (21) incorporates two large holes, one for the direct filling tube of the tank (24) and the other for the water level indicator tube of the container (7), this tube extends to the bottom of the tank by means of a tube with pores (11), figures 3 and 5. The rest of the channel has holes (23), figure 2, with microfilters (25), figure 5, which allow the indirect filling of the tank with the passage of water without substances solid. Therefore we have the novelty of a deposit that allows a direct filling by a tube or indirect through the microfilters.

As can be seen in figures 1, 2, 3, the raised central platform (22) will have a hole in the center (14) connected with a small tube in its lower part so that it can be introduced into the hollow part of the tank ( 15) and allow drainage of water from the substrate. This platform will also consist of holes to insert waterproof tubes (6) through which the wicks (9) will rise, therefore the wicks (17) enter the tank (18) and go up the impermeable tubes to almost the surface of the pot (1) to exit and descend to the bottom of the pot (9) allowing irrigation from almost the surface of the pot (1) at the bottom of it. Solving the problem of known devices with a water supply, from the bottom that produces an improper functioning of them due to the excess water at the bottom that can cause rotting of the substrate and the roots of the plant in the nearest strata to the deposit and an accumulation of salts on the outer surface of the substrate. In addition, these waterproof tubes have the peculiarity of finishing in a conical shape (5), figures 1,2,3, this allows that wicks of different diameter and materials can be used to ensure the best self-watering of the plants.

The water level display system, figures 1,2, 3 and 6, is very visual, a transparent tube (7) that ends in a plug (2) that has a small red tube (3) in its center. Transparent tube (7) within which there is a floating buoy (12) attached to a rod (8) that ends in a hollow blue tube (4), on this blue tube the red tube of the cap (3) is inserted so that At the maximum water level in the tank, only the blue tube is visible since the red tube will be completely inside and as the water in the tank descends, the red tube is displayed.

The present invention is sufficiently described in correspondence with the six attached figures, so it is easy to understand for an expert how it can be done, with any modification or modifications of detail deemed convenient, with the necessary measures in each case depending on of the requested solicitations, and of materials that allow such solicitations, as long as the essence of the invention that is summarized in the following claims is not altered.

Claims (3)

1. Self-irrigation device for a pot (10) with drainage (16) characterized in that it consists of a water container or reservoir (19) with a hollow tube inside (15) that also has holes in the upper part overflow (13) that will allow the spillage of surplus water when the tank exceeds its capacity. Hollow tube (15) whose bottom hole is adjusted with the drain hole of the pot (16) to allow excess water to flow out of both the pot and the tank. Tank with a lid made on three levels two elevated (20, 22) and between them, one sunk (21). The cover at its sunken level (21) will contain holes with microfilters (23) that will allow irrigation or rainwater to return to the filtered tank. The tank filling tube and the water level indicator tube are inserted at the sunken level of the lid. The lid at its central elevated level (22) will have a hole in the middle (14) for drainage, with a tube in its lower part that is inserted into the hollow part of the tank. In addition, the raised central level (22) of the lid will contain holes for inserting impervious tubes (6) through which the wicks (9) will be conducted so that the potting of the pot is always from the surface of the pot to the bottom. 2. Self-irrigation device, according to claim 1, for pots with waterproof tubes (6) for the conduction of the wicks from the inside of the tank (18) to the surface of the pot, which are characterized by conical end (5) what allows to cut them in their end according to the thickness of the wicks so that they can carry wicks of different diameters. Since according to the different diameters of the wicks you are conducting different water flows so that different species of plants can be sown according to their different water needs. 3.

Self-irrigation device for pots, according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a tube to visualize the water content of the tank consisting of a transparent rigid tube (7) that ends with a stopper in its upper part (2) and in its lower part, inside the tank, It has several holes (11) that allow the passage of water. The cap carries on the center, inside, glued a red tube (3). Inside the rigid tube transparent (7) there is a blue tube (4) connected to a rod (8) that ends in a buoy (12) that is submerged in the tank. The red cap tube (3) is enter the blue tube (4) so that when the water level is maximum only the blue tube will be seen, since the red tube will be inside it not being visible, as the water level drops the blue tube will also go down and begin to visualize the red tube of the cap so that when there is no Water in the reservoir will only see the red tube.