KR101522155B1 - Automatic plant growing device - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, an electronic plant cultivator comprises: a body including a body frame consisting of a lower plate forming a bottom surface, an intermediate plate where a lower end is combined on one side end of the lower plate, and forming one side wall of the body, and an upper plate where one side end is combined on an upper end of the intermediate plate; a water storage unit seated at the top of the lower plate and storing water to be supplied to plants; a center body unit seated at the top of the water storage unit, storing a culture cartridge, and where a PCB substrate installing a control unit is installed; the culture cartridge stored in the center body unit and where culture soil to culture plants is stored inside; a water supply panel located to have the certain height distance with the culture cartridge, and spraying water to plants cultivated in the culture cartridge through a water supply hole; a water supply unit raising water stored in the water storage unit and supplying the same to the water supply panel; at least one humidity sensor measuring moisture of the culture soil and outputting a sensing signal; and a control unit receiving the sensing signal of the humidity sensor, selectively operating the water supply unit, and allowing water to be supplied to the culture cartridge through the water supply panel.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an electronic plant growing apparatus,

The present invention relates to an electronic plant grower, and more particularly, to a plant cultivating machine in which a detachable culture cartridge is disposed inside a body, plants are planted, and a transparent panel part forms a part of the body, And an electronic plant grower having lightning, temperature, and soil humidity adjusted so that an appropriate environment for the plant is provided when information on the plant is provided.

In general, a flowerpot or a plant grower is a container or a device installed in a home, an office, or an outdoor place where plants such as flowers and trees are accommodated. Various plants can be planted, and nutrients do.

On the other hand, plants planted in plant growers get nutrients through photosynthesis, like plants planted directly in soil. Such photosynthesis depends on light intensity, temperature, carbon dioxide, etc. When water is insufficient, plant pores are closed and photosynthesis .

Therefore, plants need to be hydrated in their growth, especially plants planted in pots, since moisture can not be obtained from the natural environment.

However, it is not only very cumbersome to regularly supply water to pollen, but also forgets to give water, thereby causing difficulties in plant growth, and even the problem of plants being damaged. In addition, even in the case of a plant grower, the environment such as humidity and temperature suitable for the plant is not provided, or the cost is excessively high.

An aspect of the present invention is to provide an electronic plant grower that allows plant growth to be observed while providing an optimum environment for each plant provided that information on the plant is provided, so that the plant can be recognized as a counter plant.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an electronic plant grower capable of cultivating various kinds of plants by replacing the culture cartridge since the culture cartridge can be detached and coupled to the main body.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an electronic plant reaper capable of confirming the water level of the water storage portion inside the flowerpot body by the LED indicator.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is to provide an electronic plant grower capable of easily creating an environment suitable for plants by making the water supply panel adjustable up and down.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic plant re-

A main body frame including a lower plate defining a bottom surface, a middle plate coupled to a lower end of the lower plate to form a side wall of the main body, and a top plate coupled to an upper end of the middle plate;

A water storage part resting on the upper part of the lower plate and storing water to be supplied to plants;

A central body part mounted on the upper part of the water storage part, accommodating the culture cartridge, and having a PCB board on which the control part is mounted;

A culture cartridge housed in the central body portion and storing culture soil for cultivating plants therein;

A water supply panel positioned to have a predetermined height gap with the culture cartridge and spraying water to plants planted in the culture cartridge through a water supply port;

A water supply unit for lifting the water stored in the water storage unit and supplying the water to the water supply panel;

At least one humidity sensor for measuring a moisture content of the culture soil and outputting a sensing signal, and a controller for selectively activating the water supply unit by receiving a sensing signal of the humidity sensor to supply water to the culture cartridge through the water supply panel And a control unit for controlling the display unit.

In this case, the main body further includes a transparent panel part composed of a front door part, a thick plate part and a side plate part, wherein the transparent panel part is made of a transparent material so that the growth of plants can be confirmed and light can be transmitted to the inside .

The main body frame is provided with a magnetic body along a side surface of the upper plate, the middle plate and the lower plate. A magnetic body or a ferromagnetic metal is coupled to a corresponding position of the front door and the side plate, And the like.

The central body portion may include a cartridge housing portion having one side opened to accommodate the culture cartridge, a PCB mounting portion on which the PCB mounted with the controller is mounted, and a water inlet formed on the bottom surface, And a communicating water introducing portion is formed.

In addition, a guide rail protruding upward is formed on the bottom surface of the cartridge receiving portion of the central body portion, and a guide groove corresponding to the guide rail is formed on the bottom surface of the culture cartridge, And the like.

In addition, the humidity sensor may be coupled to an engaging slit formed on a bottom surface of the central body portion and project upward, a through-hole through which the humidity sensor penetrates may be formed on a side surface of the culture cartridge, The humidity sensing sensor is placed in the culture soil inside the culture cartridge when stored in the central body portion,

And a water level sensor protruding downward from the bottom of the central body to measure the water level of the water storage unit.

The electronic plant grower may further include a plant growth information unit and an LED display unit. The plant growth information unit is a USB storage device connected to a control unit through a USB port formed on a side surface of the PCB installation unit of the central main body, The growth information of the plant cultivated in the culture cartridge is stored in the form of information,

The LED display unit may display the water level sensed by the water level sensor through a color change.

Further, a guide hole and a screw hole are formed in the water supply panel,

A guide shaft having one end fixedly coupled to the center body, and a rotation shaft coupled to the other end so as to be rotatable,

Wherein the guide shaft is inserted into the guide hole to guide upward and downward movement of the water supply panel, and a rotation shaft having a screw thread formed on an outer surface thereof is coupled to the screw hole, and when the positioning gear coupled to the middle plate is rotated, The gear portion coupled to the upper end of the shaft is rotated by engaging with the position adjusting gear and the vertical movement of the water supply panel is adjusted according to the rotation of the rotation shaft.

The upper surface of the water supply panel is formed with a supply pipe fixing part connected to the water supply unit and fixing a water supply pipe for moving the water supplied from the water supply unit to the water supply panel, And a plurality of water supply holes are formed in the bottom surface of the water supply path to supply water evenly to the lower culture cartridge through the water supply port.

In addition, an LED bar for supplying light and heat to plants planted in the culture cartridge is automatically / manually turned on / off below the water supply panel.

According to the present invention, when information on plants is provided, plant growth can be observed while optimizing the environment for each plant, so that pollen can be recognized as a repellent plant.

In addition, the electronic plant grower according to the embodiment of the present invention has the effect of cultivating various kinds of plants by replacing the culture cartridge because the culture cartridge can be separated and coupled to the main body.

In addition, the electronic plant grower according to the embodiment of the present invention has an effect that the water level of the water storage part inside the flower pot main body can be confirmed by the LED indicator.

In addition, the electronic plant grower according to the embodiment of the present invention has an effect that the environment suitable for plants can be easily created by making the water supply panel adjustable up and down.

In addition, the electronic plant grower according to the embodiment of the present invention has an effect of cultivating a greenhouse in a home or a school, and provides an environment in which a plant growth process can be easily observed, thereby achieving educational effects.

1 is a perspective view of an electronic plant grower according to the present invention;
2 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic plant grower according to the present invention.
3 is an explanatory view illustrating water flow in an electronic plant grower according to the present invention;
4 is a partial perspective view of an electronic plant grower according to the present invention.
5 is a perspective view of a water reservoir;
6 is a perspective view and a plan view of a central body portion;
7 is a perspective view and a plan view of a culture cartridge;
8 is a perspective view and a plan view of a water supply panel;
9 is an explanatory view for explaining the position adjustment of the water supply panel;

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is an exploded perspective view, and FIGS. 5 to 8 are a perspective view of a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the water purifier of FIG. Fig.

The electronic plant grower according to the present invention comprises a main body, a water storage unit 20, a central main body 30, a culture cartridge 40, and a water supply panel 50.

The main body comprises a main body frame 11 and a transparent panel part 12 as shown in Figs. The body frame 11 includes a lower plate 113 forming a bottom surface, a middle plate 112 forming a side wall, and an upper plate 113. One end of the middle plate 112 is coupled to one end of the lower plate 113 and the other end is engaged with one end of the upper plate 111 so that when viewed from the front where the front door 121 is installed, . The main body frame 11 is preferably made of a synthetic resin material and should be made of a rigid material because it serves as a frame for supporting the entire plant growing machine.

For convenience of the following description, the front portion of the front door 121 is set as the front, and the left, right, top, and bottom are determined based on the front portion. And the scope of the present invention is not limited thereby.

It is preferable that the magnet attachment grooves are formed on the side surfaces of the upper plate 111, the middle plate 112, and the lower plate 113 so that the magnetic substance 130 can be attached along the circumference. The magnetic body can select the magnetic tape 131 which can be arranged in a continuous shape along the side surfaces of the upper plate 111, the middle plate 112 and the lower plate 113 as shown in FIG.

The body portion as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may further include a transparent panel portion 12 composed of a front door portion 121, a thick plate portion 122, and a side plate portion 123. The front door part 121 of the transparent panel part is disposed on the front surface, the rear plate part 122 on the back surface and the side plate part 123 on the right side so that the inside of the plant grower is entirely separated from the outside, ) Will play a role as a greenhouse. By selecting the material of the transparent panel part as a transparent material, it is easy to observe the growth of the plant cultivated in the inside of the body, and it is easy to maintain the humidity and the temperature suitable for the growth of the plant by isolating it from the outside.

The transparent panel part 12 is made of a transparent synthetic resin material and can be attached to or detached from the main body frame 11. A magnetic tape 131 is disposed along the side portions of the upper plate, the middle plate and the lower plate as described above, and a magnetic substance or ferromagnetic metal 132 which can be attached to the magnetic tape is coupled to the transparent panel portion. It is easiest to select iron, which is a ferromagnetic metal.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a handle 124 is attached to the front door 121 so that the front door 121 can be easily detached from the main frame. The front door portion 121 can be easily opened by pulling the handle of the front door portion 121 when it is necessary to ventilate the air inside the main body or when it is necessary to supply water to the water storage portion 20 .

In addition, when it is necessary to replace the culture cartridge 40, the side plate portion 123 can be detached and the culture cartridge 40 can be pulled out and removed.

A water storage part 20 for storing water to be supplied to plants is seated on the upper part of the lower plate 113 of the body frame. A step is formed along the lower side of the water storage part 20 so that the water storage part 20 can be stably stuck to the lower plate and can be fitted to the lower plate.

A water supply unit is installed on the bottom surface of one side of the water storage part (20). The water supply unit may include an inlet connected to the water storage portion 20, a water supply pump 25 for sending the water introduced into the inlet to the water supply pipe through the discharge port, and a valve (not shown) for opening and closing the water flow have.

The water supply pump is operated by the control unit 70 and the valve is opened so that the water is supplied from the water storage unit 20 to the water supply pipe 40. [ (27). The water supplied through the water supply pipe 27 is transferred to the water supply panel 50 and is sprayed through the water supply port 52 to the culture cartridge 40 planted with plants.

As shown in FIG. 5, a water supply pump fixing part 21 is formed on the bottom surface of the water storage part 20, and a water supply pump 25 is fitted thereinto. A drain port 22 is formed on one side of the water storage part 20 and the water stored in the water storage part 20 can be discharged by opening a cap (not shown) of the drain port.

The central body portion 30 is coupled to an upper portion of the water storage portion 20. 6, the central body portion 30 includes a cartridge housing portion 31, a PCB mounting portion 32, and a water input portion 33. [

The cartridge accommodating portion 31 is opened at one side where the culture cartridge 40 is inserted to receive the culture cartridge 40. A guide rail is formed on the bottom surface of the cartridge housing portion 31 in a direction in which the culture cartridge 40 is accommodated. The guide rails serve to guide the culture cartridge 40 to be smoothly slidably engaged with the cartridge accommodating portion 31. On the bottom surface of the culture cartridge 40, corresponding guide grooves 42 are formed. A humidity detecting sensor coupling slit 41 is formed on the bottom surface of the cartridge receiving portion 31 in the vicinity of the PCB mounting portion 32. The humidity sensor 71 is connected to the controller 70 and protrudes upward from the cartridge compartment 31 to insert the culture cartridge 40 into the culture cartridge 40 to measure the humidity inside the culture container 40 do.

A PCB mounting portion 32 and a water input portion are formed on one side of the central body portion 30 to partition the cartridge housing portion 31. A water inlet 331 is formed in the bottom of the water inlet 33 to communicate with the water storage 20 located below. Accordingly, when water is poured into the water inlet 33, water is supplied to the water storage unit 20 located below through the water inlet 331.

The PCB mounting portion 32 is provided with a PCB substrate on which the controller 70 is mounted. It is preferable that a slit 326 in which a PCB substrate is inserted and coupled is formed as shown in FIG. 6 (b). The LED display unit 80 is installed on the side surface of the PCB mounting unit 32 so as to be exposed to the outside. A lid 61 for protecting electronic components such as a PCB substrate may be coupled to the upper portion of the PCB mounting portion.

6, the PCB mounting portion 32 is formed with a guide shaft engaging portion 321, a rotating shaft engaging portion 322, and a water supply pipe through-hole 323, respectively.

The culture cartridge 40 is coupled to the upper portion of the central body portion 30. As shown in Fig. 7, the culture cartridge 40 has a container shape in which culture soil is accommodated therein and is opened upward so that plants can be planted.

A guide groove corresponding to the guide rail 312 of the central body portion 30 is formed on the bottom surface of the culture cartridge 40 and a plurality of through holes through which air can pass are formed in the guide groove 42. The air introduced through the air inlet 125 formed in the side panel part 123 of the transparent panel side flows into the culture cartridge 40 through the through hole 43 formed in the guide groove 42 to supply oxygen to the culture soil .

7, a through-hole 41 through which the humidity sensor 71 connected to the central body portion 30 passes is formed on the side and bottom surfaces of the culture cartridge 40, The humidity sensor 71 can be positioned inside the culture soil through the through hole 41 to measure the humidity inside the culture soil.

On the upper part of the culture cartridge 40, a water supply panel 50 is located. The water supply panel 50 is installed so as to be vertically adjustable. To enable this, a pair of guide holes 53 are formed in the water supply panel 50, and one screw hole 54 is formed. A guide shaft 62, one end of which is coupled to the central body portion 30, is inserted into the guide hole 53 to guide the upward and downward movement of the water supply panel 50.

The rotary shaft 63 is engaged with the screw hole 53. 9, a gear portion 631 is coupled to the upper portion of the rotating shaft 63, and the gear portion 631 rotates in engagement with the positioning gear 64, which is rotatably engaged with the intermediate plate. When the gear portion 631 rotates, the rotary shaft 63 rotates. In the rotary shaft 63, a screw thread corresponding to the screw hole 54 is formed. When the rotary shaft 63 rotates, The water supply panel 50 is moved upward or downward.

Since the position of the water supply panel 50 can be adjusted up and down, when the plant is small, the water supply panel 50 can be adjusted to be positioned at a low position to easily provide water, light and heat to the planted plant. It is then moved to the appropriate location to provide an environment suitable for plant growth.

A water supply pipe through hole 55 is formed in the water supply panel 50 and connected to the water supply pump so that a water supply pipe through which the water moves is connected to the upper surface of the water supply panel 50 through the through hole 55. The water supply pipe 27 is fixed by a water supply pipe fixing portion 56 which fixes the water supply pipe 27. The water supply pipe 27 can move in the longitudinal direction relative to the water supply pipe fixing part 56 in accordance with the upward and downward movement of the water supply panel 50.

A water supply passage (51) is formed in the water supply panel (50). The water supply passage 51 has a shape of a relatively lower portion than the periphery thereof, so that the water supplied from the water supply pipe 27 naturally moves to the water supply passage 51. A plurality of water supply ports 52 are formed in the bottom surface of the water supply path 51 to supply water evenly to the lower culture cartridge 40 through the water supply port 52. When the water flows downward through the water supply port 52, it is possible to produce the effect of reducing the rain.

An LED bar for supplying light and heat to the plants planted in the culture cartridge 40 may be installed under the water supply panel 50 automatically or manually. The LED bar 75 is disposed on a narrow and long PCB substrate at regular intervals. By providing the LED panel 75 on the lower surface of the water supply panel 50, the LED bar 75 supplies light to the plant, It will play an increasing role. The LED bar (75) is selected as the most preferable embodiment to represent the light emitting and heating elements. It is within the scope of the present invention to substitute the light emitting and heating elements having the same role. The LED bar is bulky and easy to control, making it suitable for providing light and heat in a small space such as a plant grower.

In the electronic plant grower according to the present invention, a humidity sensor 71 and a water level sensor 72 are installed. The humidity sensing sensor 71 is coupled to a coupling slit formed on the bottom surface of the central body portion 30 and protrudes upward and passes through the through hole 41 formed in the culture cartridge 40, Lt; / RTI >

The humidity sensor 71 measures the moisture of the cultivated soil in the culture cartridge 40 and outputs a detection signal to the controller 70. The humidity sensor 71 may be integrated with the control unit 70 or may be connected to a control unit 70 installed to be separated by a cable not shown to output a sensing signal to the control unit 70 You may.

As shown in FIG. 2, the water level sensor is installed so as to protrude downward from the bottom of the central body portion 30 and to be positioned inside the water storage portion 20. As shown in FIG.

The water level sensor 72 is disposed inside the water storage unit 20 and is connected to the controller 70. The water level information sensed by the water level sensor 72 is transmitted to the controller 70, The water content stored in the water storage part 20 can be displayed in color by the LED display part 80 installed on the side. Normally, three levels of water level are sensed and changed into three colors.

The electronic plant grower according to the present invention may further include a temperature sensing sensor 9 for detecting an internal temperature. By transmitting the measured temperature information to the controller 70, the controller 70 can cause the LED bar to emit light to raise the temperature inside.

The LED display unit 80 displays a variety of colors according to the amount of water stored in the water storage unit 20. For example, when the water stored in the water storage unit 20 is insufficient, the LED display unit 80 displays red color And green if the water stored in the water storage part 20 is insufficient, and blue if the water stored in the water storage part 20 is sufficient.

The electronic plant grower according to the present invention may further include a plant growth information section. The plant growth information unit (not shown) is a USB storage device connected to the control unit 70 by a USB port (not shown) formed on the side surface of the PCB installation unit 32 of the central main body unit 30, Growth information of the plant cultivated in the culture cartridge 40 in an electronic form is stored. When the USB storage device is connected to the USB input port, the plant growth information is transmitted to the control unit 70.

The plant growth information part in the form of a USB storage device may contain information of only one plant that has been input in advance, or may be a form in which desired plant growth information is downloaded through a computer and used.

 The plant growth information section may store all the information necessary for growing the plant, only information about a certain plant is stored, and only the identification information on the plant is transmitted to the control section 70. The detailed growth information on the plant is transmitted to the control section 70 May also be used.

That is, when the plant growth information is transmitted to the control unit 70 through the plant growth information unit, an environment optimized for plant growth planted in the culture soil of the culture cartridge 40 is formed by the control unit 70.

The electronic plant grower according to the present invention further includes a power supply unit (not shown) for supplying internal power. The power supply unit (not shown) is connected to the control unit 70, And supplies power to at least one of the sensor 71, the water level sensor 72, and the LED display unit 80. At this time, a connection terminal may be further provided in a part of the electronic plant dispenser to receive external power, and the power supply (not shown) may be charged through a connection terminal. Accordingly, even if the external power supply is shut off, the power supplied to the power supply unit (not shown) can be used.

As described above, the electronic plant grower according to the embodiment of the present invention has a basic technical idea of providing the optimum environment for each plant by providing information on the plant, thereby enabling the plant to be recognized as a refractory plant Able to know. Therefore, many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

20: Water reservoir
30:
40: Culture cartridge
50: Water supply panel
70:
71: Humidity sensor
72: Level sensor
80: LED indicator

Claims (7)

A main body frame including a lower plate defining a bottom surface, a middle plate coupled to a lower end of the lower plate to form a side wall of the main body, and a top plate coupled to an upper end of the middle plate;
A water storage part resting on the upper part of the lower plate and storing water to be supplied to plants;
A central body part mounted on the upper part of the water storage part, accommodating the culture cartridge, and having a PCB board on which the control part is mounted;
A culture cartridge housed in the central body portion and storing culture soil for cultivating plants therein;
A water supply panel positioned to have a predetermined height gap with the culture cartridge and spraying water to plants planted in the culture cartridge through a water supply port;
A water supply unit for lifting the water stored in the water storage unit and supplying the water to the water supply panel;
At least one humidity sensor for measuring a moisture content of the culture soil and outputting a sensing signal, and a controller for selectively activating the water supply unit by receiving a sensing signal of the humidity sensor to supply water to the culture cartridge through the water supply panel And a control unit
A water supply pipe fixing part connected to the water supply unit and fixing the water supply pipe for moving the water supplied from the water supply unit to the water supply panel is formed on the upper surface of the water supply panel and relatively lower than the periphery, And a plurality of water supply holes are formed in the bottom surface of the water supply path to supply water evenly to the lower culture cartridge through the water supply port.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Further comprising a transparent panel part including a front door part, a rear plate part, and a side plate part,
Wherein the transparent panel part is made of a transparent material so that the growth of plants can be confirmed and light can be transmitted to the interior.
3. The method of claim 2,
The main body frame is provided with a magnetic body along the side surfaces of the upper plate, the middle plate and the lower plate, and a magnetic substance or a ferromagnetic metal is coupled to a corresponding position of the front door portion and the side plate portion, Wherein said electronic plant grower comprises:
The method according to claim 1,
The central body portion
A cartridge accommodating portion for accommodating the culture cartridge,
A PCB mounting part on which the PCB mounted with the controller is mounted,
A water inlet is formed on the bottom surface to form a water inlet portion communicating with the water storage portion,
A guide rail protruding upward is formed on a bottom surface of the cartridge receiving portion of the central body portion, and a guide groove corresponding to the guide rail is formed on a bottom surface of the culture cartridge so that the culture cartridge is slidably engaged with the cartridge receiving portion Wherein the plant is a plant.
The method according to claim 1,
The humidity sensing sensor is coupled to a coupling slit formed on a bottom surface of the central body portion and protrudes upward, and a through-hole through which the humidity sensing sensor passes is formed on a side surface of the culture cartridge, The humidity sensor is positioned on the culture soil inside the culture cartridge,
And a water level sensor protruding downward from the bottom of the central body portion to measure the water level of the water storage portion,
The electronic plant grower further includes a plant growth information unit and an LED display unit,
Wherein the plant growth information unit is a USB storage device connected to a control unit through a USB port formed on a side surface of the PCB installation unit of the central body unit, wherein plant growth information stored in the culture cartridge in an electronic form is stored therein,
Wherein the LED display unit displays the water level sensed by the water level sensor through a color change.
The method of claim 1, wherein
The water supply panel is provided with a guide hole and a screw hole,
A guide shaft having one end fixedly coupled to the center body, and a rotation shaft coupled to the other end so as to be rotatable,
Wherein the guide shaft is inserted into the guide hole to guide the up and down movement of the water supply panel, and the screw hole is coupled with a rotation shaft having a screw thread formed on the outer surface thereof, and when the positioning gear coupled to the middle plate is rotated, Wherein a gear portion coupled to an upper end of the shaft rotates while being engaged with the position adjusting gear, and the upward and downward movement of the water supply panel is controlled according to the rotation of the rotation shaft.
The method of claim 1, wherein
Wherein an LED bar for supplying light and heat to the plants planted in the culture cartridge is automatically or manually turned on / off below the water supply panel.

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