WO2019209186A1

WO2019209186A1 - Panel for vertical plants cultivation

Info

Publication number: WO2019209186A1
Application number: PCT/SI2019/050005
Authority: WO
Inventors: Žiga VESELIČ
Original assignee: (
Priority date: 2018-04-25
Filing date: 2019-04-24
Publication date: 2019-10-31
Also published as: SI25616A

Abstract

The subject of the description is a panel for vertical plants cultivation, which is installed in the inner living space or represents a so-called "green picture" with the integrated system for controlled droplet irrigation, components for additional illumination of plants and wireless management. The panel for vertical plants cultivation according to the invention has in a wooden frame (1) built-in system for controlled water droplet irrigation of plants, wherein the wooden frame (1) is a wooden reservoir (2) divided into two chambers (2a, 2b) so that the upper chamber (2a) is covered with a pond foil and therefore serves as a water reservoir and in the upper chamber (2a) a mini water pump is installed from which the water tubes ¼' are led to the lower and upper holder (3) and on the tubes where are openings for plastic pots, are installed plastic droppers.

Description

PANEL FOR VERTICAL PLANTS CULTIVATION

The subject of the description is the panel for vertical plants cultivation, which is installed in the indoor living space or represents a so-called »green picture« dimensions of 32.48 x 24.6 inches (h x w) with built-in controlled droplet irrigation system, components for additional illumination of plants and wireless management.

For the undisturbed growth of plants, a sufficient quantity of water and light is needed, which is a problem in the interior living area. This problem solves the present invention with simple and controlled vertical plants cultivation in the living space. The panel for vertical plants cultivation is designed to have a built-in system for controlled droplet irrigation and RGB (red, green, blue) LED (a light- emitting diode) strip for additional illumination of the plants. The light and water supply we manage by a smartphone which is through the means of Wi-Fi network connected to the built-in RGBW LED WiF time clock— timer. Known solutions to the vertical cultivation of plants are, despite the fact that they are newer systems of plants cultivation, quite a lot.

The most simple constructional solution represents the system of vertical pockets from various materials of fabric into which the substrate is added. The pockets are arranged vertically or horizontally. The drawbacks of this solution are manual watering and related dosing of the required amount of water since there is no regulated drainage, and the provision of a sufficient amount of light throughout the growing period. The second known solution is the vertical stand system with jute pods and the adjustable telescopic leg. Irrigation is arranged in such a way that the pots are placed in the modified base— reservoir - filled with water. The air cone allows the flow of excess water back into the base and at the same time allows the substrate to radiate. Unresolved, however, the problem of watering remains, as this is regulated manually and in stock. The problem of ensuring sufficient amount of light throughout the year remains unresolved as well.

The third known solution is the system for vertical plants cultivation, the so- called wall kit for vertical sets and modules - the IK09 Living Wall module, made of aluminum plates and perforated aluminum mesh, dosing gutter, planting compartment divided into 1 , 3 or 9 chambers and water tank with drainage tube and stopper. The watering problem was in the mentioned system solved with the dosing gutters, which supplied water at certain time intervals from the upper tank to the plants. Excess water drains into the storage room located on the underside of the module. This watering system is not the most practical, as the water from the storage room needs to be emptied manually through a drainage tube with a stopper. Due to watering on stock the consumption of water is uneconomical, and at the same time in this way of vertical plants cultivation, a problem of additional illumination remains.

A common feature of all the above-mentioned solutions is that all systems are designed to allow vertical plants growth in the living space. These systems differ from one another in terms of shape, aesthetic appearance and different ways of supplying the water for watering. At the same time, none of them solve the problem by enabling a constant and even water supply and sufficient amount of light, which plants necessarily need for their undisturbed and optimal growth. The present invention resolves the aforementioned problems by adding to the panel for vertical plants cultivation:

- Drip irrigation system (mini water pump, watering tube ¼', droppers),

- RGB LED strip

- RGBW LED Wi-Fi timer

- Electric AC converter 220 V to DC 12V, 30A 360W. Components are interconnected with a two-wire electric cable that provides the power supply. An openly accessible and free application called Magic Home, which we install on a smartphone, makes it easy and quick to regulate watering and additional illumination. The application works over the Wi-Fi network. The invention will be described on the basis of the embodiment and the accompanying figures illustrating: figure 1 an axonometric view of a panel for vertical plants cultivation according to the invention;

figure 2 water tank and space for electrical components;

figure 3 the right side of the panel with a groove for electrical wires;

figure 4 the left side of the panel for the watering tube;

figure 5 plants holder - shelf;

figure 6 reservoir cover;

figure 7 bottom side;

figure 8 rear panel - large;

figure 9 rear panel - small;

The panel for vertical plants cultivation according to the invention consists of a wooden frame 1 and a wooden reservoir 2, the latter being divided into two chambers 2a, 2b. The upper compartment 2a serves as a water tank and in the lower chamber 2b is a space for electrical components. In wooden frame 1 , there are two wooden holders 3 for plants with three recesses 4 and a larger rear panel 5 and a smaller rear panel 6 of plastic. The wooden frame 1 of the panel according to the invention consists of two glued layers, namely, 0.79 inches thick boards and 1.57 x 1.57 inches wooden battens with pre-cut decoration. The vertical sides measure the length of the 32.48 inches outer edge and the 28.9 inches inner edge, while the horizontal measures the 24.6 inches outer edge and the 17.91 inches inner edge. The sides of the wooden frame 1 are glued at an angle of 45°.

Prior gluing the wooden frame 1 , each of the sides is further processed.

Into the right side 7, on the reverse side, we make a groove 8 in depth of 0.39 inches and a width of 0.59 inches with a manual electric milling machine. The groove 8 is 0.59 inches from the inner edge of the frame. It measures 13.38 inches in length and intended for the installation of electrical cables. In the same side we make a groove on the inside of the side dimensions of 17.71 x 0.047 x 0.008 inches. On the inside of the side, we drill a hole 0.23 inches in diameter connecting to the groove on the back side of the side and intended for the passage of electrical cables.

On the back side of the left side 9, we also make a groove 10, dimensions 23.62 x 0.59 x 0.59 inches, on the inner side the groove 10 is the same as the groove 8 of the right side. The groove 10 at the back side of the side serves as a tube space which is intended for supplying water to the plants. On the inner side of the left side 9, we drill three holes 0.23 inches in diameter, which are connected with the groove on the back side and serve to pass the irrigation tube from the reservoir 2 to the groove 8, and then to the lower and upper shelves. Therefore, the first hole is located in the upper corner of the storage room, the next two about an inch above each shelf.

In the upper side, we make the groove on the inner side, dimensions 17.91 x 0.047 x 0.008 inches. After bonding the frame, the grooves on the inner side are connected in chute into which the RGB LED strip is glued to provide additional illumination of the plants. On the bottom side, a hole is drilled in the right corner, which connects to the lower part of the reservoir and serves as a space for the electrical cable connector.

Reservoir 2 is made from pre-cut wood. The bottom side - the bottom is measured at a length of 17.91 inches and 5.31 inches in width. The left and right sides are the same dimensions, 5.51 x 4.92 inches, the front side 17.91 x 5.51 inches and the intermediate side 17.13 x 4.92 inches. After bonding all outer sides, we get a reservoir 2 of dimensions, 17.91 x 5.31 x 5.91 inches. We insert the intermediate side into the reservoir 1.57 inches from the bottom and attach it with a 1.38 x 1.38 x 0.79 inches metal bracket, and additionally seal it from the upper side with acrylic silicone mass. Thus, two separate chambers 2a, 2b are obtained, where the bottom serves as a space for electrical components, and the upper one is additionally covered with a pond foil and serves as a water tank. The rear side of the water tank forms the rear large plastic plate 5 dimensions 24.61 x 25.98 inches. All edges in the container are additionally sealed with acrylic silicone mass.

The back side of the lower chamber 2b, where is the space for electrical components, is covered by smaller plastic plate 6 dimensions, 24.61 x 6.49 inches. The thickness of both plastic plates 5,6 is 0.12 inches. The plastic plates 5,6 are separated because the smaller lower plate 6 must be detachable so that at any time we can reach the electrical components in the event of a malfunction. For easier removal, the smaller plate 6 is attached left and right with two screws. In the case of the larger upper plate, edges must be waterproof, therefore attached with screws and additionally glued with silicone acrylic mass. The upper chamber 2a of the reservoir 2 retains approx. 3 I of water, which is kept in for a long time because it represents a closed irrigation system, therefore it needs a lid to prevent evaporation. The cover 2c is made in such a way the rear side has a slot allowing the extra water to be extracted from the pots, onto the back side, back into the chamber 2a of the reservoir 2 (figure 6).

In the panel for vertical plants cultivation are two wooden holders 3 for plants - shelves, with three recesses 4 for pots on the holders 3. The dimensions of both holders 3 are equal 17.91 x 4.33 inches (I x w). However, the lower holder 3 is slightly different from the upper holder 3 by form, on the left and right edge of the back side is a 0.19 inches tongue so that when contacted with the rear larger plastic plate 5 they form a slot which allows the free flow of excess water, which drains out of upper pots. Each holder 3 has in the left and right corner 1.18 inches from the back side, drilled holes in diameter of 0.098 inches, which serves for attaching the holders into the vertical system. We do this by simply placing the holder 3 on a metal hook with a thread of 0.09 x 0.078 inches, screwed on the inside of the left and right sides of the wooden frame 1.

On the edge of the front side of both holders is glued pond foil dimensions 18.5 x 5.12 inches. The foil is positioned in such a way that by its width in the arc form bypasses the bottom of the pot, and its end only attached to the edges left and right on the back of the large plastic plate 5. Such a placement of foil prevents the excess water from draining freely and uncontrolled after watering, directing the water towards the back of the panel to slide it through the plastic plate over the slots back into the storage room. From the front side the foil is covered with a strip of jute, attached with the silicone glue to the outer side of the holder 3, and the lower part on the inner side of left side 7 and right side 9 of the wooden frame 1. The jute strip has a particular aesthetic function. The entire system for the vertical plants cultivation works according to the principle of the hydroponic system - closed system, guided through the mobile application Magic Home, with the possibility of additional lightning (RGB LED strip). Freely accessible and free of charge mobile application enables regulation of watering and supplies additional light to the plants at any time because it works over a Wi-Fi network and connected to the built-in Wi-Fi RGBW LED time clock.

In the upper chamber 2a of the reservoir, 2 is a submersible water pump from which the plastic tubes ¼ ' are led to the upper and lower holder 3, at the place where the space for the pots is, are installed plastic droppers. At each opening where the dropper is, the tube is attached with a plastic wedge. The electric cable of the water pump is led to the lower chamber, connected to the Wi-Fi RGBW LED time clock, the latter then connected to an AC 220V AC inverter 12V, 30A 360W. From the electric converter is led a two-core cable to the female part of the connector, installed in the lower right edge on the bottom side of the frame. The RGB LED strip also is connected to the same time clock. Only blue and red are connected because these two colors are important for plants growth, so the connector for green color remains, so we connect it with the cable of the water pump. The electricity supply is enabled via an electric cable that is plugged into a 220V socket, on the other side is a male part of the connector which we connect into the right lower edge on the bottom side of the frame where the female part of the connector is installed.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Panel for vertical plants cultivation,

characterized in that,

in the wooden frame (1) a water droplet irrigation system is incorporated, wherein the wooden frame (1) there is a wooden reservoir (2) divided into two chambers (2a, 2b) so that the upper chamber (2a) is coated with a pond foil and therefore serves as a water reservoir and in the upper chamber a mini water pump is installed (2a) from which the water tubes ¼ ' are led to the lower and upper holder (3) and on the tubes where are openings for plastic pots, are installed plastic droppers.

2. Panel for vertical plants cultivation according to the claim 1 ,

characterized in that,

it has the possibility of controlled additional illumination of the plants, and therefore is in the grooves on the inner side of the left, right and upper side of the wooden frame (1) the RGB LED strip installed, whereby the electric wires of RGB LED strip are led through the groove (8), in the right side (7) to the lower chamber (2a) of the reservoir (2), where they are connected to the electrical components (RGBW Wi-Fi time clock).

3. Panel for vertical plants cultivation according to the claim 1 and 2,

characterized in that,

that the reservoir (2) is divided into two chambers (2a, 2b) so that the upper chamber (2a) serves as a water tank and the sides are covered with a pond foil, while in the lower chamber (2b) there is a space for electrical components.

4. Panel for vertical plants cultivation according to the preceding claims,

characterized in that,

is on the front side of the holder (3) glued foil, which serves to direct the excess water flowing after watering of the plants to the rear plate (5) after which the water spills back into the water tank, and that the lower holder (3) has a slot which enables free flow of water.