JP2001045873A - Plant-growing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a plant-growing device, which automatically supplies an adequate quantity of water to the plant it tries to grow. SOLUTION: This plant-growing device is equipped with a medium 1 in which a plant P is grown; pot 2 which contains the medium 1; water tank 3 holding water W, connected to the lower part of the pot 2; communication passage 4 by which air flow between the water tank 3 inside and outside is secured, and water W is supplied into the water tank 3 inside; and water supply member 5 which rises from the water tank 3 inside into the pot 2 inside to supply water W from the water tank 3 by the capillary phenomenon into the medium 1 contained in the pot 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention belongs to the technical field of a plant growing apparatus having an automatic watering function for plants.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, cultivation of plants has become popular due to a gardening (gardening) boom. In particular, the growth of potted plants has become active, reflecting the small residential environment in Japan. Therefore, development of a plant cultivation apparatus that can automatically water a potted plant during a period in which the watering of the plant cannot be performed due to travel or the like has been desired.

Conventionally, potted plant growing apparatuses include, for example, a water tank for storing water, a pump for sending water out of the water tank, a tube for connecting the pump with the pot in which the plant is planted, and a pump for regular use. And a timer that is driven only for a predetermined time.

According to this conventional plant growing apparatus, for example, it is possible to automatically supply water to a pot in which the plant is planted every morning and evening for 5 minutes (water injection to the root of the plant, watering to the plant, etc.). It is possible to prevent plant withering.

[0005]

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the above-mentioned conventional plant growing apparatus, water is supplied even in rainy weather. Therefore, there is a problem that excessive supply of water causes root rot of the plant instead. is there.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and has as its object to provide a plant growing apparatus that can automatically water an appropriate amount of water to a plant.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a plant growing apparatus according to the present invention employs the following means.

[0008] That is, in the first aspect, a pot for containing a culture medium in which a plant is planted, a water tank connected to a lower portion of the pot for containing water, a ventilation between the inside and the outside of the water tank, and a water tank. A communication passage that allows water to be injected into the inside of the tank, and the water contained in the water tank that rises from the inside of the water tank and rises into the inside of the water tank is sucked into the medium material contained in the bowl by capillary action. And a water supply body for supplying.

[0009] In this means, the water contained in the water tank is sucked up by the water supply body by capillary action and is gradually supplied to the culture medium. Further, when rainfall penetrates into the culture medium material, the suction of water due to the capillary action of the water supply body is suppressed. Therefore, an appropriate amount of watering the plant is automatically performed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the plant growing apparatus of the first aspect, a vent hole communicating with the inside of the water tank is opened at a lower portion of the pot.

[0011] In this means, a large amount of rainfall that has permeated the culture medium drops from the vent into the water tank. Oxygen is supplied to the culture medium (plant roots) from the vent.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the plant growing apparatus of the first or second aspect, the water supply body is a rod-shaped water supply main body that causes a capillary phenomenon, and is covered on an upper end of the water supply main body. And a porous water supply cover for preventing direct contact with the main body.

[0013] In this means, the water supply cover prevents clogging of the water supply main body due to the intrusion of the culture medium into the water supply main body, and the water supply cover diffuses the water in the water supply main body to the surroundings.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment (1) of a plant growing apparatus according to the present invention.

In this embodiment, a relatively small one such as a bonsai pot is shown.

In this embodiment, a pot 2 for accommodating a culture medium 1 in which a plant P is planted is formed in an inverted truncated cone shape, and an upper open circular water tank for accommodating water W in a lower portion of the pot 2. 3 are screwed together.

The culture medium material 1 constitutes a culture medium having a water permeability and capable of rooting the plant P, and is made of soil, ceramic particles, synthetic resin particles, composite materials of these, mixed materials and the like.

The pot 2 is formed of a ceramic material, a synthetic resin material or the like. On the bottom surface, a ventilation hole 2a composed of a large number of small holes is opened on the entire surface, and a support cylinder 2b through which a water supply body 5 described later is inserted is provided at the center. A flange 2c protruding downward is provided on the periphery of the bottom surface. A screw portion 2d is engraved on the outer peripheral surface of the flange 2c.

The water tank 3 is formed of a ceramic material, a synthetic resin material or the like. On the inner peripheral surface at the upper part of the side surface, a screw portion 3a screwed with the screw portion 2d of the pot body 2 is engraved.

A communication path 4 extends from the upper side to the bottom of the pot 2.
Are arranged.

The communication passage 4 is made of a synthetic resin tube or the like, and secures ventilation between the inside and the outside of the water tank 3 to which the pot 2 is screwed and connected, and the screw is connected to the pot 2. The water W can be injected into the water tank 3.

A water supply 5 is set up from the bottom surface b of the water tank 3.

The water supply body 5 comprises a water supply main body 5a formed in a rod shape with silicon carbide, carborundum or the like, and a porous water supply cover 5b such as a PVA sponge covered on the upper end of the water supply main body 5a. The water supply main body 5 a has a function of causing a capillary phenomenon, is raised from the bottom surface b of the water tank 3, is inserted into and supported by the support cylinder 2 b of the pot body 2, and is provided inside the culture medium 1 accommodated in the pot body 2. Has invaded. The water supply cover 5b prevents direct contact between the culture medium 1 and the water supply main body 5a.

According to this embodiment, the medium 2 is housed in the pot 2, the plant P is planted, the water tank 3 is screwed and connected to the pot 2, and water W is injected into the water tank 3 from the communication passage 4. By simply doing so, watering of the plant P can be automatically managed.

That is, the water W stored in the water tank 3
Is gradually sucked up by the capillary action of the water supply body 5a of the water supply body 5, is widely diffused by the water supply cover 5b of the water supply body 5, and is gradually supplied to the culture medium 1. Further, when rainfall penetrates into the culture medium 1, the osmotic pressure inside the culture medium 1 increases, so that the suction of water by the capillary phenomenon of the water supply main body 5 a of the water supply body 5 is suppressed. Therefore, the plant W is always supplied with an appropriate amount of water W automatically.

In the supply of the water W, since the water supply cover 5b of the water supply body 5 prevents direct contact between the culture medium 1 and the water supply main body 5a, particles of the culture medium 1 enter the water supply main body 5a. There is no intrusion and clogging of the water supply main body 5a. Therefore, even if it is used for a long time, the supply amount of water W to the plant P does not decrease.

When rainfall penetrates into the culture medium 1, water W drops into the water tank 3 from the vent 2 a of the pot 2.
The medium 1 (root of the plant P) has a vent 2
a, External fresh air (oxygen) is supplied via the communication path 4. Therefore, the plant P does not cause root rot.

FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show an embodiment (2) of the plant growing apparatus according to the present invention.

In this embodiment, a relatively large planter or the like is shown.

In this embodiment, the pot 2 is formed in a box shape with an open top, and a water tank 3 with a box open with an open top is fitted and connected to the lower portion of the pot 2. And three water supply bodies 5 are provided.

According to this embodiment, substantially the same operations and effects as those of the above-described embodiment (1) can be obtained.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment (3) of the plant growing apparatus according to the present invention.

This embodiment is provided with a water amount gauge 6 which can be known from outside the amount of water W stored in the water tank 3.

The water gauge 6 is mounted on the bottom surface of the pot 2 with its axis perpendicular to the cylindrical guide 6a protruding into the water tank 3, and floats on the surface of the water W contained in the water tank 3. The float 6b moves up and down inside the guide 6a, and a gauge string 6c connected to the float 6b and drawn out of the water tank 3.

The communication passage 4 of this embodiment is provided integrally from the lower part of the side of the pot 2 to the bottom. The communication passage 4 is provided with a gauge string 6 of a water gauge 6.
It is used to draw out c.

According to this embodiment, the amount of water W stored in the water tank 3 can be easily known from the outside by the length of the drawn out gauge string 6c of the water amount gauge 6. Therefore,
There is no possibility that the water W contained in the water tank 3 is depleted and the plant P is withered.

Further, according to this embodiment, the water tank 3
When the amount of the water W stored in the container becomes full, the water W can overflow from the communication path 4 to the outside. Therefore, there is no possibility that the water W is flooded up to the medium material 1 and the plant P is rotted.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment (4) of the plant growing apparatus according to the present invention.

In this embodiment, the support cylinder 2b of the pot 2 is formed into a tapered split structure, and a taper nut 2b 'is screwed thereto.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the water supply main body 5a of the water supply body 5 inserted into the support cylinder 2b from swelling and being deformed by the water W sucked up. Therefore,
The function of sucking up the water W of the water supply main body 5a of the water supply body 5 can be maintained.

[0042]

As described above, in the plant growing apparatus according to the present invention, the water contained in the water tank is sucked up by the water supply body by the capillary phenomenon, and is gradually supplied to the culture medium material. When the rainfall penetrates, the suction of water due to the capillary phenomenon of the water supply body is suppressed, so that there is an effect that an appropriate amount of watering the plant is automatically performed.

Further, the second aspect of the present invention is that excess water in the culture medium is dropped into the water tank from the vent, and external fresh air is supplied from the vent to the culture medium, so that the plant causes root rot. There is no effect.

Further, the water supply cover prevents the culture medium from entering the inside of the water supply main body and prevents the water supply main body from being clogged, and the water supply cover diffuses the water in the water supply main body to the surroundings. In addition, there is an effect that the amount of water supplied to the plant can be maintained at an appropriate amount even after long-term use. effective.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment (1) of a plant growing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an embodiment (2) of a plant growing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing an embodiment (3) of a plant growing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing an embodiment (4) of a plant growing apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Culture medium 2 Pot body 3 Water tank 4 Communication passage 5 Water supply body 5a Water supply main body 5b Water supply cover P Plant W Water

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A pot containing a culture medium in which a plant is planted, a water tank connected to a lower portion of the pot and containing water, a ventilating between the inside and the outside of the water tank, and water entering the inside of the water tank. And a water supply body that rises from the inside of the water tank to the inside of the pot body and sucks and supplies water contained in the water tank to the culture medium contained in the pot body by capillary action. A plant growing device comprising: 2. The plant growing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a ventilation hole communicating with the inside of the water tank is opened at a lower portion of the pot. 3. The plant growing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water supply body is covered with a rod-shaped water supply main body which causes a capillary phenomenon and an upper end of the water supply main body, and is directly connected to the culture medium and the water supply main body. A plant growing device comprising a porous water supply cover for preventing contact.