NZ793219A - Plant growing apparatus and method - Google Patents
Plant growing apparatus and methodInfo
- Publication number
- NZ793219A NZ793219A NZ793219A NZ79321917A NZ793219A NZ 793219 A NZ793219 A NZ 793219A NZ 793219 A NZ793219 A NZ 793219A NZ 79321917 A NZ79321917 A NZ 79321917A NZ 793219 A NZ793219 A NZ 793219A
- Authority
- NZ
- New Zealand
- Prior art keywords
- enclosure
- plant
- column
- water
- planting column
- Prior art date
Links
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract 16
- 230000002262 irrigation Effects 0.000 claims abstract 8
- 238000003973 irrigation Methods 0.000 claims abstract 8
- 238000000701 chemical imaging Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 230000001105 regulatory Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 241000894007 species Species 0.000 claims 1
- 238000001228 spectrum Methods 0.000 claims 1
Abstract
plant growing apparatus, comprising an enclosure having an interior and exterior, wherein the interior of the enclosure is configured to maintain environmental conditions within the enclosure, one or more light sources, a planting column having an aperture extending therethrough, a rotatable base, a central conduit, wherein said conduit extend through the aperture of the planting column and said planting column is configured to be rotatably movable around said central conduit, a water source, at least one sensor, an irrigation system, and a control system configured to be communicatively coupled to the irrigation system, one or more sensors, light source, and rotatable base. a central conduit, wherein said conduit extend through the aperture of the planting column and said planting column is configured to be rotatably movable around said central conduit, a water source, at least one sensor, an irrigation system, and a control system configured to be communicatively coupled to the irrigation system, one or more sensors, light source, and rotatable base.
Description
A plant growing apparatus, comprising an enclosure having an interior and or, wherein the
interior of the enclosure is configured to maintain environmental conditions within the enclosure,
one or more light sources, a planting column having an aperture ing therethrough, a
ble base, a central conduit, wherein said conduit extend through the aperture of the
planting column and said planting column is configured to be rotatably movable around said
central conduit, a water source, at least one sensor, an irrigation , and a control system
configured to be communicatively coupled to the irrigation system, one or more sensors, light
source, and rotatable base.
NZ 793219
PLANT GROWING APPARATUS AND METHOD
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This Application claims priority International Application No. filed October
9, 2017, U.S. Provisional Application 62/405532 filed October 7, 2016, U.S. Provisional Application
62/467621 filed March 6, 2017 and U.S. Provisional ation 62/524811 filed June 26, 2017 the
disclosures of which is considered part of the disclosure of this application and is hereby incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to plant growing systems, such as growing apparatus to be used
for plants. I n one aspect, this invention relates particularly to an nic apparatus and method for
growing plants in a self-contained growing ure.
Home gardening and micro gardens in the apartment complexes and neighborhoods has grown
in recent years throughout the United States in response to food deserts ng the availability of fresh
produce in densely populated areas. More consumers desire to have fresh produce and herbs grown
locally to provide fresher e, as well as limit the preservatives and chemicals used in large grocery
stores. While these s do not require large amounts of land, there is still the need to provide
physical land to establish the garden to grow produce. gh the global food demand is failing to be
met, the human population is continuing to grow, and 3 billion people will be added within the next
thirty years. In many urban environments, real estate comes at a premium price that will typically not be
ted for use as a garden. Additionally, depending upon the climate of the garden and seasonal
weather changes, many produce items cannot be grown year around, if at all. Diminishing supplies of
potable water and available farm land, both of which are threatened by volatile weather conditions, will
become increasingly scarce as housing developments for this growing population are constructed,
g food prices to gradually increase. Currently, many hydroponic systems use horizontal grows
which have low yields relative to its int. Existent hydroponic systems e extensive lies
of pumps to circulate the hydroponic nutrient solution as well as a blower to aerate the solution with
enough dissolved oxygen to prevent root. These additional actuators cause an increase in power
consumption which extends the amount of time for a consumer to experience a return on their
investment. Similarly, the system have various shortfalls d to energy consumption, inefficient
distribution of water and nutrients, and high maintenance costs.
There exists a need for an tus that takes up minimal space within a household to grow
fresh produce. The present invention s to a nutrient film hydroponic and aeroponic apparatus for
growing plants, wherein the tus can be configured to easily be situated within an apartment or
home. The aeroponic tus of the present invention can be tely self-contained or integrated
into the kitchen along with other appliances and provides a space to consistently grow herbs and other
produce. Additionally, the present invention allows for the cultivation of seeds or small seedlings to
maturity in a short time period as opposed to a normal growth time line, and without the need for
pesticides and herbicides. This growth system enables a user to buy small seed pods to have them
shipped directly to their homes to grow produce or herbs in their household.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, this disclosure is related to a plant growing apparatus, comprising an enclosure
having an interior and exterior, wherein the interior of the enclosure is configured to in
environmental ions within the enclosure, one or more light sources, a removable planting column
having an aperture extending therethrough, a rotatable base, a central conduit, wherein said conduit
extend through the aperture of the planting column and said planting column is configured to be
bly moveable around said central conduit, a water source, at least one sensor, an irrigation
system, and a control system configured to be communicatively coupled to the irrigation system, one or
more sensors, light source, and rotatable base.
In another aspect, this disclosure is related to a system of growing, monitoring, and purchasing
plants for growing in the plant growing apparatus of the present invention, wherein a plant pod is
assigned a barcode, fying environmental variables for that ic plant species, scanning the
barcode and assigning the plant pod within the plant growing apparatus and control system,
implementing control algorithm to determine the optimal environmental variables based upon the
ation of plant species within the system, and regulating the environment to achieve that
environmental preference.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The features and advantages of this disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will be more
apparent and better understood by reference to the following descriptions of the disclosed system and
s, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, n:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of and ary ment of the plant growing apparatus.
Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the plant growing
apparatus.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of an exemplary ment of the plant growing apparatus.
Fig. 4A is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a r planting column of the
plant growing apparatus.
Fig. 4B is an overhead view of an exemplary embodiment of a modular planting column of the
plant growing apparatus shown in Fig. 4B.
Fig. 4C is a sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a modular planting column of the plant
growing apparatus shown in Fig. 4B.
Fig. 4D is an overhead view of an exemplary ment of a modular planting column of the
plant growing apparatus having an opening sealing member.
Fig. 4E 4D is an overhead view of an exemplary embodiment of a r planting column of the
plant growing apparatus having an opening sealing member shown in Fig. 4D.
Fig. 5A is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a planting column of the t
invention having a helical configuration.
Fig. 5B is a side perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a planting column of the
present ion having a helical configuration.
Fig. 5C is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a planting column of the present invention
having a helical configuration.
Fig. 5D is a sectional view of an ary of a planting column of the present invention having a
l configuration shown in 5D.
Fig. 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the plant g apparatus of the
present ion.
DETAILED PTION OF THE INVENTION
The following detailed description is of example embodiments with references to the
accompanying drawings. Such description is intended to be illustrative and not limiting with respect to
the scope of the possible embodiments. Such embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable
one of ordinary skill in the art to practice them, and it will be understood that other embodiments may
be practiced with some variations.
Referring to Figs. 1-6, the plant growing apparatus 1 comprising an enclosure g 3 a planting
column 5. The enclosure housing 3 can be nmentally controlled to provide an ideal growing
environment for the various plant ies that may be grown in the apparatus. The enclosure can have
an interior 7 portion and an or portion 9. The enclosure 3 can take multiple shapes in form
including cylindrical, triangular, pyramidal, helical, and rectangular in configuration. Each shape can have
corresponding sidewalls 11 and a top 13 and bottom 15 to form the enclosure 3. In one exemplary
embodiment, the enclosure can be rectangular in nature having six sides, including a top wall 13, a
bottom wall 15, and four side walls lla-d. In an exemplary embodiment, walls 11 can be coupled to a
support structure 17 that can act as a on for the enclosure 3. In another embodiment, the walls
can be seamlessly joined without a support structures, such as a circular tube or where the walls 11
function as the support structure. Additionally, a wall 11 can include an access door or panel 19 located
on one or more of the walls 11 of the ure. The access door 19 allows a user to open the enclosure
to remove or add plants for growing or harvesting. Similarly, it allows a user access for any plant
maintenances that may be necessary.
The walls of the enclosure can be made from any suitable material. In one exemplary
embodiment the side walls can be made from a transparent material, such as glass, Plexiglas, or other
polymer. In one exemplary embodiment, the interior side of one or more of the walls can have a
reflective g or material bonded or applied to the interior n 7 of the enclosure 3 walls. The
coating or reflective material, can still maintain arency from the outside to allow a user or viewer
to see inside the enclosure 3 of the plant growing tus 1. The reflective or can act as a mirror
and maximize the light efficiency of the light source(s) 21 within the enclosure 3 by reflecting the light
hout the enclosure 3. In one exemplary embodiment, the side transparent walls 11 could be given
a colored dye in the forming process to filter out the red-blue grow lights 21 from within the ure
3. Additionally, in one exemplary embodiment, the enclosure 3 can further be surrounded by a shell 23.
The shell 23 can provided additional structural support and packaging of the enclosure in certain
applications. In one exemplary embodiment, the shell 23 can surround one or more sides of the
enclosure, such as the top and one or more sides. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the shell 23 can cover the top
and three sides 11 of the enclosure having a rectangular configuration. One of the side walls 11 can
remain accessible to a user and have a moveable door 19. The door 19 can use any suitable means to be
moveable such as a hinge or slidable tracking. In ary embodiments having a slidable door 19, the
side wall 11 can be have two separate ns. Each section can be moveable, or atively, one
section can be moveable and the other section can be fixed. Similarly, in another exemplary
embodiment, the side wall can have an g 27 that is covered by the door 19. Additionally, the door
19 and sidewall 11 can further include a gasket or seal 29 to help in maintaining the interior
environment 25 of the plant growing apparatus 1. Similarly, the seal 29 can be used to help maintain a
positive re within the interior environment 25 of the enclosure. In some embodiments, a side wall
11 can be moveable and operate as a door to provide a user access to the interior environment 25 of
the plant growing apparatus 1. In various ary embodiments of the present invention, the plant
growing apparatus can further include a base section 31 to which the enclosure 3 can be coupled or
rested upon. The base section 31 can be used as a housing for various components of the system 1,
including the water reservoir, pump, conduits, drive motor, and other components.
The enclosure 3 can also further comprise a y 33, for ing user information regarding
the environmental aspects within the enclosure, such as temperature, humidity, and light cycle, light
spectrum, photosynthetic active ion, electric-conductivity value of the nutrient on, pH value
of the nt solution, environmental PPM of oxygen, C02, VOC content among others. The display 33
can also be used as a control panel for the apparatus 1. rly, the apparatus 1 can include a
standalone control panel, which can be communicatively coupled to the apparatus. In one exemplary
embodiment, a wireless device, such as a smart phone can operate as a display, control panel, or both.
Additionally, a camera 35 would allow users to monitor and view the plant growth inside the apparatus.
The camera 35 can be capable and configured to capture hyperspectral imaging to capture data related
to the health of the plant within the apparatus 1. Using the plant health data, the control system 39 can
s the plant health data to optimize the internal environment 25 within the growing apparatus 1,
which may include adjust the temperature, humidity, or the s nutrients that can be added to the
water source 57. The display 33 and or l panel 37 can be communicatively coupled to a control
system 39, which can include a processing means 41, such as a microcontroller, memory 43, and
transceiver 45. atively, the display 33 and control system 39 can be a separate computer or mobile
device display communicatively coupled to a control system 39 and d through an application on
the device. This can allow a user to monitor the plant growing apparatus 1 and adjust the desired
interior environment 25 within the enclosure 3 remotely using the control system 39 using various
wireless standards, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, , NFC, internet, etc. Similarly, the enclosure 3 can
use a combination of physical and remote displays to provide interior environment 35 data to a user.
The data can be stored on the memory 43 or an eternal server or remote database will be used to
collect and e the data points from the control system 39 to determine market research and plant
growth research.
The ng column 5 can have a top portion 47 and a bottom portion 49. The bottom portion 49
can operate as a turntable proximate to the bottom wall 15 of the enclosure 3 allowing for the planting
column 5 to rotate within the enclosure 3. The bottom wall 15 can have an aperture to allow for the
drive motor 51 to be coupled to the planting column 5. The planting column 5 can be rotatable, either
manually rotated or can use a drive motor 51 to turn the planting column by a user. The drive motor 51
can be positioned proximate to the bottom wall 15 of the enclosure 3. The drive motor 51 can be
communicatively coupled to a stepper motor system 111 which can be communicatively coupled to a
control system 39. The drive motor 51 could be driven by a belt, chain, direct gear drive, rotated on a
chassis with caster wheels, or be magnetically levitated and turned by electro magnets. A program can
be stored in the memory 43 of the control system 39 to automatically rotate the planting column 5 as
desired at any time setting and for any durations. Similarly, the control system 39 can be
communicatively d to a control panel 37, n the user can manually activate the drive motor
51 to rotate the ng column 5 both clockwise and counterclockwise.
By allowing the planting column 5 to rotate within the ure, the plant growing apparatus
can be located in many environments and allows a user to easily access plants within the enclosure 3,
without the need of reaching round to the opposite side of the enclosure and disrupting the other
plants. rly, by allowing the planting column 5 to rotate and being able to view the contents from
the outside a user can turn the planting column 5 to the desired on before opening the access door
19, thus limiting the time necessary to remove the desired plants. This in turn avoids large fluctuations
in the internal environment 25 of the enclosure 3 and prolonged exposure to the environment e
of the enclosure 3. A step motor drive 59 coupled to the rotational drive motor 51 and icatively
coupled to the control system 39 can allow the apparatus 1 to have onal awareness of what plants
are facing which specific light sources 21, such as an LED array. This may allow the individual LED arrays
21 to target the ic photosynthetic active radiation and photosynthetic photon flux densities ratios
for the plant that is facing it to maximize its photosynthetic efficiency, and reduce power consumption.
In one exemplary ment, the planting column 5 can have an interior cavity 55 for receiving
an aqueous solution, such as water from the water source. The planting column 5 can further comprise
one or more planting openings 59 are included in the column 5 for receiving plants, wherein at least a
portion of the plant can extend into the interior cavity 55 for engaging a planting medium, aqueous
solution, or both.
The planting column 5 can be r in nature and comprise one or more sections, as shown in
Fig. 2. Each section of the planting column 5 can have a termined number and size of ng
openings 59. A user select from various planting column 3 portions depending on the types of plants
and/or herbs they desire to grow. If the plant species that a user desires to grow is larger a planting
column portion having larger and fewer openings 59 can be used. Additionally, if the plant species
desired by the user is smaller in nature, a planting column 5 portion having a greater number of
openings 59 can be used within the enclosure. One or more planting column 5 portions can be used in
the enclosure 3 depending upon the desired application of the user.
The planting openings 59 can be adapted for an aggregate or soil medium, or atively,
adapted for use as an aeroponic planting port/apertures to be used without the use of a soil, aggregate,
or growing . The ng openings 59 can allow for easy placement of plants within individual
openings or a ity of plants within each opening depending on the type of plant and the space
needed to optimally grow the plant. The openings extend into the interior cavity 55 of the planting
column 5, wherein a portion of a plant, such as the roots extend into the interior cavity of the planting
column. The portion extending into the interior of the planting column can be exposed to nutrient rich
medium, such as nutrient rich water to provide adequate nutrients to the plant.
In one exemplary embodiment, plants can come prepackaged in a support medium, such as seed
starter medium or growing pod 61, and allow a user to easily transport and transplant seedlings or seeds
into the plant openings 59 of the plant growing apparatus. Alternatively the plant openings 59 can be
configured to accept seedlings without the use of a support . The pod can be configured
ically for aeroponic seed growth and allow for a plant root system to propagate and get access to
nutrients provided within the al cavity of the planting column. In one exemplary embodiment, the
opening 59 can have a fastening means 69 to enable that the growing pods 61 can be securely coupled
to the openings 59. The fastening means 69 can use any suitable means such as a threaded fastener,
magnetic fastener, a it fastener, or other suitable fastening means. Similarly, the pods can have a
corresponding fastening means 71 that interacts with the opening fastening means 69. The
corresponding ing means ensures that the growing pod is securely maintained in the opening 59
of the planting column 5, as well as, in a sealing onship to limit or prevent the s
solution from escaping from the interior cavity 55 through the opening 59. Alternatively or in addition
to, the proximate to the openings 59 of the column can be a hinged opening sealing member 139 can be
used to prevent moisture from escaping the interior cavity 55 of the column 5. The flap can be
configured to form a seal around the edge of the pod 61 and the opening 59, so as to approximate the
shape of the opening 59. In some ments, the flap can be hinged, but may be cooped to the
opening using any suitable means, such as threaded rod, nut and bolt, or any other variation.
Additionally, the bottom portion of the opening sealing member 139 could be lined with a gasket to
decrease the permeability of the seal. The opening sealing member 139 be spring loaded to close with
additional force, or be fitted with a handle or latch to lock in place and e increased grip to a user.
The plant growing apparatus can further comprise an irrigation system 95 configured to provide
water and other nutrients to plants maintained in the apparatus. The irrigation system 95 can also be
used partially as a humidifier to maintain a relative humidity within the plant g apparatus. The
irrigation system can include one or more conduits to transport water and other nutrients throughout
the disclosure.
The irrigation system can use a water source to provide water to the plants within the plant
g apparatus. The water source can be directly connected to the plant growing apparatus through
a local water plumbed proximate to the area where the plant growing apparatus will be positioned.
Alternatively, the water source can be a water oir located in the base of the plant growing
apparatus. In one exemplary embodiment, the water reservoir can be removable from plant growing
apparatus, and prevent the necessity of having a direct water line coupled directly to the plant growing
apparatus. This allows the plant growing apparatus to be easily adaptable into consumer's t
kitchen or home configurations, without the need to plumb in a new water outlet. The base 31 of the
planting column and/or floor within the ure can have a draining system to catch overflow and
excess water to be recirculated and used by the irrigation system. A water level sensor 135 can e a
valve relay that is icatively coupled to the control system 39 to initiate a valve to refill the
reservoir to maintain a pre-determined level of liquid within the reservoir.
The water reservoir can use a sensor or device to monitor the water level within the water
reservoir. The sensor can communicate with a control panel to provide an alert to a user that the water
reservoir needs to be refilled or that the water level is low. Additionally, the plant growing apparatus
can further comprise additional reservoirs to store other materials and liquids such as plant nutrients.
Any number of reservoirs can be used depending on the desired number of nts to be used by a
user for plant growth. An additional mixing reservoir can be present that allows for water from the
water reservoir to mix with the desired mixture of nutrients prior to being dispensed within the plant
growing apparatus.
The irrigation system 95 can further include a one or more pumps 93 configured to transport the
water or nutrient rich fluid hout the conduits 65 to be dispensed to the plants within the
apparatus. The pump 93 can be communicatively coupled to the controlled panel 35, so as to be
activated remotely when desired by the user. In one ary embodiment, the pump 93 can be used
to pump materials from the reservoir(s) 63 into a ary reservoir prior to pumping the aqueous
solution for sing through the conduit 65 to the sing apparatus 67. A secondary reservoir
can have one or more chambers that can contain various nutrients that can be added to the water from
the oir 63 and pumped through the conduit 65 to be provided to the plants.
In one exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. 3, a reservoir 63 can be located within a drawer 131
that is contained in the base 31 of apparatus 1. When the drawer 131 is open, the user is able to remove
the hydroponic nutrient container to clean, empty, or replace the container. A pump 93, which can
submerged or in line, with a water source 57, and connects to an inlet conduit 133 which pumps the
hydroponic nt fluid through the dispensing device 67. In one exemplary ment, the water
source 57 can come from water stored in a reservoir 63. Alternatively, the pump 93 can be outside of
the nutrient solution and plumbed directly inline to dispense onic nutrient solution through the
dispensing device. The inlet hose can run inside of a large outlet hose which allows gravity to circulate
the hydroponic nutrient solution back to the reservoir 63. Similarly, the inlet conduit 133 can e a
channel to transport the fluid from the reservoir or fluid source to a dispensing apparatus 67 that can
have a nozzle or misting head that can be suspended proximate to the top portion 47 of the interior 55
cavity of the planting column 5. The nozzle can provide the aqueous solution to roots extending into the
interior cavity 55 of the planting column 5. In one exemplary ment, the nozzle can be a misting
nozzle. A turntable ring can mount the planting column 5 to the top and bottom of the growing
chamber. Alternatively, the planting column 5 can be only d to the bottom 15 of the apparatus
1. A turntable ring can include a flange socket placed inside of a bearing, or a slewing bearing driven by a
motor or any other torque generating actuator 141.
The inlet hose 133 and outlet hose 129 run inside of the turntable to t disrupting the
growth medium and irrigation system 95, which might damage the system or the plants. The dispensing
means 67 can be removed from a ed hole on the flange blind to allow the user to clean the device
to prevent complete disassembly of the apparatus. In r exemplary embodiment, the dispensing
means 67 can have a threaded receiver inside the planting column 5. A gasket 127 can be used between
the top of the apparatus and top portion of the column 5 to form a watertight seal. Additionally, the
plant growing apparatus 1 may be directly ted to a water source 57, a valve system 97 having
using one or more actuatable valves can be used to automatically add water to keep the reservoir 63 at
a specified level. In one exemplary embodiment, the planting column 5 can be removable by an
accessible bearing that opens, and allows a user to remove a shaft, a spring loaded bearing, or it simply
sits on top of a bearing, and can be lifted out of the system.
The dispensing apparatus can be supplied water by a conduit 65 configured to transport water
from a water source 57 to the interior cavity 55 of the planting column 5 and to a water dispensing
apparatus 67. In one exemplary embodiment, the conduit 65 can be lly located within the interior
cavity 55 of the planting column and terminate at the top portion 47 of the ng .
Alternatively, the conduit 65 can extend along the interior or exterior of one of the enclosure walls and
proximate the interior top wall and extend down to the top portion 47 of the column 5 as shown in Fig.
3. The planting column 5 can be configured in a way to be rotatable around a conduit 65 within the
interior cavity 55 of the planting column 5. The conduit 65 is fluidly ted to the irrigation system
95, which can include the reservoir 63, pump 93, to transport water from the water source 57 to the
dispensing apparatus 67 within the interior cavity 55 of the planting column 5. In one exemplary
ment, the conduit 65 can have one or more dispensing means located axially from the top to
bottom of the column to dispense fluid to the interior cavity of the planting column. In this embodiment
the pump and central conduit can maintain enough water pressure to ensure that the fluid is dispensed
along the entire height of the central conduit. Aeroponic systems often ence failure through the
accumulation of loose biomass from plant roots blocking the misting heads within the recirculation
system. This is solved by a removable l conduit that allows the user to clean the orifices without
embling the apparatus.
The interior of the ure can r comprise one or more light sources. In one exemplary
embodiment, the light source can be a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs). The LEDs can be
positioned along the interior of the enclosure. In one exemplary embodiments, the LEDs can extend
along the vertical t structures in the corners of the enclosure as shown in Fig. 2. Similarly, the
light sources 21, such as LEDs can surround the entire interior of the enclosure to provide le light
for the plants within the enclosure. As previously stated, the interior of the walls can be reflective to
more efficiently distribute the light throughout the interior of the enclosure. An interior corner panel
can be used to allow the plant growing apparatus to have LED light arrays 21 that could be mechanically
fastened to the vertical support structures 17 or interior corner panels as opposed to the current
ve backing. This would ensure the longevity, durability, and increase production rates.
Additionally, light sources can be coupled to a heat sink. In one ary embodiment, the interior
corner panels of the enclosure 3 can be removable to allow for ease of assembly, maintenance, or
replacement of light sources 21, as well as act as a heat sink. Additionally, the cavity formed by the
corners can conceals the wires, and other tly electrical components to prevent them from
exposure to re and other environmental conditions. In another example, the light source 21 could
be a series of projectors emitting targeted light intensities to the exact shape and dimension of a s
profile to specifically target a particular plant within an opening 59. A camera vision database stored on
a memory 43 could be would be used to analyze the plants profile from data obtained by the camera 35.
The plant growing apparatus can also comprise additional environmental systems such as a
temperature and humidity (TH) system to maintain the temperature and humidity within certain
thresholds through the use of fans, blowers, chillers, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, refrigeration, or any air
sion device. The system 73 can also use a gas injection system to emit C02 or other gases and
maintain ideal C02 or other gas levels within the ure. The system 73 can be coupled to one or
more ature, humidity, C02, or other environmental sensors 77. Similarly, other environmental
systems can include an elect conductivity (EC) system 81 having an EC sensor 83, a pH system 85 having
a pH sensor 87, and a photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) system 107 with a PAR sensor 109, among
others.
As shown in Fig. 6, the plant growing apparatus 1 can use a power source 79 to power the various
elements of the system. The power source 79 can be directly wired into a grid, solar system, use a
y system or other power method. In one exemplary embodiment, the plant growing apparatus can
have a secondary power source, such as a battery backup in case the primary power source is disabled.
The plant growing apparatus can further comprise a control system 39 that comprises a processing
means 41, a memory 43, a transceiver 45, and an antenna. The l system 39 can be
icatively coupled by various elements of the plant growing apparatus, such as one or more
pumps 93, fans 77, TH systems 73, irrigation systems 95, sensors 77, light sources 21, valves systems 97,
relays 99, ids 101, and drive motors 51 configured to efficiently grow plants. A user can set predetermined
programs on the memory 43 icatively coupled to the control system 39, n
the control system 39 can execute the desired m at a pre-determined time or times throughout
the day, week, or month by communicated to the various environmental system and components of the
apparatus 1.
Similarly, the l system 39 can use environmental data acquired real-time through one or
more sensors within the enclosure 3. These sensors can include temperature 103, relative humidity 105,
pH 87, electro conductivity 83, PAR 107, photon flux density, infrared camera 35, spectral imaging,
among other s. These sensors can store and aggregate to monitor and control the interior
environment 25 within the enclosure 3 in realtime. onally, certain pre-determined parameters can
be saved on a memory 43 communicatively coupled to the control system 39 to e s
ents of the plant growing apparatus 1 to respond to the pre-determined parameters. One
example includes actuating a valve 101 and pump 93 of the irrigation system 95 to dispense water
h the conduit 65 and into the interior cavity 55 of the column 5 within the enclosure to the
exposed plant roots. Similarly, a conduit 65 can use a dispensing means to provide moisture to the
interior environment and the foliage exposed on the exterior of the planting column 5. In one exemplary
embodiment, a conduit can run up vertically through the interior cavity 55 of the column up to a
dispensing means 67 proximate to the top portion 47 of the column 5. The bottom portion 49 of the
column can include a drainage passage 125 to allow for the aqueous on drain into a reservoir 63.
The drainage e 125 can be coupled to a drainage conduit 127 to direct the aqueous solution into
the reservoir 63.
Additionally, in one exemplary embodiment, one or more cameras 35 can be located within the
ure 3 to capture video/image data of individual plant openings 59. The image data can be
analyzed the control system to determine when a new plant is needed to refill the position or if the
plant s to be dying/withering. The l system 39 can then initiate an alert to the user's
display 33 or mobile device. The control system 39 can additionally be communicatively coupled to a
drive motor system communicatively coupled to a drive motor 51, LED array um control, imaging
system 112, and various fans 75 for the enclosure. In some embodiments fans 75 can be d on
proximate to the various walls 11 of the enclosure 3, ing the top wall 13 and the bottom wall 15.
The fans 75 can be communicatively coupled to a fan control system 53. In some embodiment, the fans
75 can be sealed to allow for positive pressure interior environment 25. Additionally, the fans may have
a bug deterrent system to prevent pests from entering the interior environment 25. The control system
39 can be communicatively coupled to both a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) unit 117 and an analogto-digital
converter (ADC) unit 119. To process the various signals from varying systems of the plant
growing apparatus 1.
A hyperspectral imaging camera 35 could allow each unit to collect information for large scale
phenotyping experiments. The camera 35 could be used to create a feedback loop of detecting moisture
deficiencies within the plants, and watering with the pump 93 accordingly to reduce power
consumption. The camera 35 can further be used to monitor nutritional content of the plants growing,
and correct the content of the nutrient fluid dispensed by the l system 39 by using a r
feedback loop and algorithm stored on the memory 43. While the feedback loop monitoring for both
moisture, C02, and other nutrient deficiencies may be more reactionary, it could remove the need for a
system to have a pH 87 and EC 83 sensors that can routinely fail and need to be either replace or
recalibrated on a regular basis. The camera 35 can further be used to in place of the RFID tag or barcode
system to monitor the actual contents of the growing chamber and provide a user with location and
health data of each individual plant. An algorithm/feedback system could be established to order or
alert a user using an interface, such as a display 33, to purchase new ngs upon a plant death, plant
harvest, or pated plant harvest.
The l system 39 of the plant growing apparatus 1 can use control algorithms to monitor
and te the exchange of vapors within the system, humidity, lighting cycle, pH of the nutrient
solution, electro-conductivity of the nt solution using the various environmental systems. Each
growing pod 61 can be assigned a barcode, classifying these variables for that specific plant species.
When a growing pod 61 is scanned, and placed into the system, the l algorithm can ine the
optimal, average environmental variables based upon the combination of plant species within the
, and regulate the environment to achieve that preference. Similarly, the control system 39 can
obtain and store data obtained by various systems of the apparatus 1, ing but not limited to the
gas system 89, EC system 81, pH sensor system 85, imaging system 113, PAR sensor unit 107, and the TH
system 73. Based on the data obtained by these systems, the control system 39 can determine the plant
health for the individual plants within the apparatus 1, as well as, determine the mean plant health of all
plants within the enclosure 3. Using one or more algorithms, the control system 39 can implement
commands to s other systems to modify the internal environment 25 within the enclosure 3 to
provide a better growing environment from the plants. These systems can include the fan l
system 74, stepper motor system 11, irrigation system95, valve system 97, and light spectrum control
system 114 to effectuate the changes to the interior environment 25 within the enclosure 3.
Similarly, the g pods 61 can use various types of tags to track the types and locations of
various plants within the chamber. In one exemplary ment, the seed pods can have radiofrequency
identification (RFID) tags to track the type and location of plant within the enclosure 3. The
correspondence openings/ports 59 to accept the individual pods 61 can have readers to read the tags of
the pods. These can include barcode readers, and RFID readers, among others. The growing pods 61 can
be any suitable dimension or shape. In one exemplary embodiment shown in Figs. 4A-4C, the pod 61 can
have a top rim 121 having a coupling fastening means 71. The pod 61 can also have a bottom portion
123 that can be perforated to allow for root growth to extend through the bottom n 123 of the
pod 61. In one exemplary embodiment, at least a portion of the pod 61 can extend into the interior
cavity 55 of the planting column 5 as shown in Fig. 4C.
In another exemplary embodiment of a pod 61 to be used having a square cone design, and
similarly, the planting column can have a ponding g 59 shape to receive the pod 61. The
receiver ports on the planting column can allow the conical square based, reusable seedling pods to
plant seedlings directly into the system. The non-circular design ensures firm placement of the seedling
pod, and prevents a potential fall from the planting column 59. The square cone design can help to
maintain the pod 61 firmly in place within the aperture of the ng column and aids in limiting the
pod 61 from rotating or falling out of the opening 59.
In one exemplary embodiment, the bottom of the square cone 61 can have a substantially planar
bottom with an aperture. This aperture can be configured in size to be large enough to allow and
promote root growth, but small enough to t a seedling from falling through into the interior of
the planting column. The pods can be used with or without growing media. Additionally, as shown in Fig.
4B, one exemplary embodiment of the plant pod, can have a circular top portion. The top portion can
further comprise an ng mechanism to be used to ly engage the pod with the planting
column. In one embodiment, the engaging mechanism can be a magnet to couple the pod with a
corresponding magnet on the ng column. One or more magnets can be utilized. In one ary
embodiment, the one or more magnets can be located on the underside of the top portion of the pod.
The planting column 5 can have a variety of configurations, such as a circular configuration
shown in Figs. 1-4, or a helical planting column 5 configuration illustrated in Figs. 5A-DD. As shown in
Figs. 5A-5d, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention n the rotating planting column
can be helical in shape. r to the cylindrical planting column, the helical planting column can have
an interior cavity 55 that is primarily in a helical configuration. The interior cavity 55 can allow for the
flow of an aqueous solution to flow through the cavity and interface with the pods 61. In some
ment, the interior cavity can be configured in a vertical manner and use a misting function to
contain the water within the interior cavity 55. In other exemplary embodiment, the interior cavity 55
can form a passageway for water to flow through using y. This rotational nutrient hydroponic helix
can allow the plants to receive sufficient nutrient solution while reducing the likelihood of a potential
clog ing within the central conduit 65 that provides the aqueous solution. The water may be
pumped up a central conduit to the top portion 47 of the column 5. The water then flows down the
helical or cavity 55 using gravity until the water flows back down through a drainage opening 125
proximate to the bottom portion of the column 5 and into a reservoir 63 at which point the solution can
be pumped back up to the top portion 47 of the column 5. The interior cavity 55 is formed into a helical
passageway ng for water to constantly flow through the interior cavity 55 and provide nutrient
rich solution to plants positioned in the opening 59. The recirculation process can be continued for predetermined
time period, manually, or based on machine ng from the control system 39 until
adequate nutrients and water have been provided to the plants. The helical column 5 can be attached to
flange blinds at the end to create a ble tower that still holds a watertight seal. Additionally, the
helical shape may allow for a low pressure pump 93 to be used to distribute water through the helical
column and can eliminate the need for high pressure pumps for g that can potentially lead to
clogging and reduced function. The helical column 5 also increases the efficiency and nearly eliminates
any clogging issue that might occur in traditional hydroponic/aeroponic systems. Furthermore, the
helical design can help maximize efficiency of the number of plants able to be used on a planting column
using a nutrient film technique allowing more efficient use of space. Similarly, the planting columns can
further be used outside of an enclosure and in open air environments. In one exemplary embodiment,
the planting column can be affixed to a turbine powered by a power source, such as wind, internal
combustion, or any other heat cycle.
This application is ed to cover adaptations or variations of the present subject matter. It is
to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope
of the present t matter should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with
the full scope of legal equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
Claims (20)
1. A plant growing apparatus, comprising: an ure having an interior and exterior, wherein the interior of the enclosure is configured to in pre-determined interior environment within the enclosure; one or more light sources; a ng column having an cavity formed hrough; a drive motor coupled to a bottom portion of the planting column, wherein said drive motor is configured to rotate said planting column within the enclosure; a removable water reservoir, a central conduit, wherein said conduit extend through the aperture of the planting column and said planting column is configured to be rotatably movable around said l conduit; a water ; at least one sensor; an irrigation system; and a control system ured to be communicatively coupled to the irrigation system, one or more sensors, light source, and drive motor.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a top, a base, and at least one wall, wherein said wall has an internal surface and an external surface.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, n the internal surface of the wall configured to reflect light emitted within the enclosure.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the planting column further comprises one or more openings configured to receive a plant.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source is comprised of light emitting diode (LED) lights.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the water source is a water reservoir.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the reservoir is removable.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the water source, center conduit, and tion system are fluidly connected.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the irrigation system includes a water dispenser.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the t has one or more integrated water dispensers.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the irrigation system comprises a pump and a secondary fluid conduit configured to ort water from the water source to the central conduit
12. The apparatus of claim 1, n the enclosure is rectangular, having one or more openings to access the interior of the enclosure.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable base is incorporated as a portion of the planting column.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the or cavity of the planting column is arranged in a helical configuration.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a hyperspectral imaging camera configured to e plant data within the enclosure. The tus of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to monitor and control temperature, ty, and light color spectrum to manipulate plant growth within the enclosure.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a Drawer formed in the base of the unit to house the removeable water reservoir.
17. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the LED color spectrums are controlled to manipulate plant growth.
18. A system of growing, monitoring, and purchasing plants for growing in the plant growing apparatus of claim 1 comprising: assigning a plant pod having an individual species of plant a barcode; classifying environmental variables for that specific plant species; scannable identification code to assign the plant pod on within the plant growing apparatus and control system; implementing a l algorithm to determine the optimal environmental conditions; e environmental variables based upon the combination of plant s within the system; and regulating the environment to achieve that preference.
19. An apparatus for growing plants, comprising: a water source; a g column having an interior cavity and at least one opening configured to allow access to said interior cavity; an enclosure surrounding the g column; and a pump fluidly ted to a water source and dispensing means using a conduit, wherein said pump is configured to provide water from the water source to the interior cavity.
20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a plant growing pod comprising a top rim and a bottom portion configured to fit within said opening, wherein said bottom portion is configured to extend within said interior cavity of the growing column. [Annotation] SAYOU ation] SAYOU
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US62/405,532 | 2016-10-07 | ||
US62/467,621 | 2017-03-06 | ||
US62/524,811 | 2017-06-26 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
NZ793219A true NZ793219A (en) | 2022-10-28 |
Family
ID=
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