Patent Application
20120167460
The cultivation of plants and vegetables started early in the history of mankind. It has been characterized by large tracts and small plots of land that were tilled, planted and harvested. The crops planted were completely at the mercy of the weather and availability of water. The hard work of the farmer often went unrewarded with crop failure due to drought, errant temperatures too hot or too cold and the condition of the soil which may have been depleted of nutrients from over cultivation. Improved farming methods such as crop rotation and irrigation methods developed over the centuries have helped. But at the same time land development and urbanization on top of arable land has pushed agriculture farther away from the urban centers where the largest populations need food.
In a following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration a specific example in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
It should be noted that the descriptions that follow, for example, in terms of a stackable cultivation tower system is described for illustrative purposes and the underlying system can apply to any number and multiple types of stackable plant modules. In one embodiment of the present invention, the stackable plant module is configured as a single plant container. In another embodiment the stackable plant module can be configured as a multiple plant container and can be configured using white PVC plastic or other forms, colors, shapes, sizes and depictions using the present invention.
The stackable cultivation tower system includes one or more light source 170 components installed on an offset light source stand 180. The light source 170 is positioned to cast light onto the vegetation being cultivated in each plant holder module 106 to promote growth. A reflector tray 190 can be positioned on the floor surface below the light source 170 to reflect the illumination on the underside of the vegetation to allow full illumination to all portions of the vegetation.
The offset distance of the offset light source stand 180 can be adjusted to allow additional space for multiple stackable cultivation tower 100 assemblies to be arranged around the light source 170 illumination of one embodiment of the present invention. The stackable cultivation tower system includes a circulating irrigation system 125 that conserves water and reduces evaporation. A reservoir 140 is the supply source of water and for example nutrients mixed in the water to irrigate and feed the vegetation. The reservoir 140 can be configured to include a pump. The pump forces water from the reservoir 140 up a master irrigation feed line 150. The pump can be configured for example as a submersible pump to pump. The pump can be configured for example with a timer to regulate the irrigation cycle. The timer can be configured to control the operation of the pump to draw water from the reservoir 140 at preset or variable time intervals. The regulated irrigation cycle can pump water through the master irrigation feed line 150 and apply irrigation to the plants at optimal intervals for different vegetation types. The regulated irrigation cycle can prevent over watering which could for example damage roots and allows optimal irrigation to promote faster higher yielding growth. The master irrigation feed line 150 includes piping to convey the water to one or more irrigation feeder supply system 160 assemblies of one embodiment of the present invention.
The irrigation feeder supply system 160 can be configured to include branched piping configured to deliver water to the individual plants in each plant holder module 106. Water draining from each plant holder module 106 down the inside of the stackable cultivation tower 100 is collected in the post irrigation container 110. The higher position of the post irrigation container 110 allows the collected water to gravity flow through a water return pipe 130 to the reservoir 140 for reuse. The transport of the water through the circulating irrigation systems reduce the time in which the water is exposed to conditions that create evaporative losses and eliminates the seepage into soil that normally occurs in field or garden soil cultivation of one embodiment of the present invention.
The stackable cultivation tower system can be assembled from components which are commercially readily available and economically priced. The stackable cultivation tower system can be configured with multiple stackable cultivation tower 100 assemblies, multiple irrigation feeder supply system 160 assemblies and one or more light source 170 allowing many plants to be cultivated economically under optimum conditions in a very small space. The stackable cultivation tower system provides a facility and process that can be used to cultivate vegetation in a reduced indoor physical area, conserves resources and promotes faster plant growth of one embodiment of the present invention.
The foregoing has described the principles, embodiments and modes of operation of the present invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed. The above described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and it should be appreciated that variations may be made in those embodiments by workers skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
The master irrigation feed line 150 supplies water and nutrients to the plants to promote growth. The reservoir 140 is filled with water and for example liquid nutrients can be added into the water. A pump 220 for example a submersible pump is operated from a power source 240. The power source 240 can be any source of electricity such as utility supplied current, solar panels or wind power. The current to operate the pump 220 passes through a timer 230 to regulate the length of time and frequency of the irrigation supply. The timer 230 allows irrigation adjustments for example for different plant requirements and can provide non-irrigated periods of time for cultivation purposes such as the absorption of oxygen by the root systems. The pump 220 during an irrigation cycle provides the head pressure to pump the water up the master irrigation feed line 150 to the irrigation feeder supply system 160 piping which delivers water to each of the plants in the plant holder module 106 modules of one embodiment of the present invention.
The water nourishes the plants and roots then drains out of the mesh pot into the interior of the stackable cultivation tower 100 column created by the stackable plant module 102 components. The water drains through the bottom stackable plant module 102 which is attached through the lid or cover of the post irrigation container 110. The post irrigation container 110 can be for example a 3 gallon plastic bucket which is installed into the support container 120 which can be a larger container such as a 5 gallon plastic bucket. The support container 120 can be weighed with for example water or gravel to create a stable support for the stackable cultivation tower 100. The irrigation water draining from the mesh pots collects in the post irrigation container 110.
The irrigation water then drains from the elevated position of the post irrigation container 110 by gravity through the water return pipe 130 into the reservoir 140. The recycling of the irrigation water reduces the overall consumption of water used for cultivation by eliminating seepage into the soil and outdoor evaporation of one embodiment of the present invention.
The stackable cultivation tower system provides one or more light source 170 to supply light for processes such as photosynthesis in the plants to stimulate growth. The light source 170 can be configured with various types of light bulbs capable of providing different wavelengths of light levels to simulate light indoors that would be available in sunlight. The light source 170 can be configured to include one or more types of lights for example High Pressure Sodium and Metal Halide lighting. High Pressure Sodium and Metal Halide lights produce stronger, healthier seed starts, faster maturing plants, higher yields and increased flowering. High Pressure Sodium lamps provide more yellow/orange/red spectrum, which is ideal for most plants that are actively fruiting and flowering. Metal Halide lamps provide more of the blue/green spectrum, which is ideal for leafy crops, and/or plants that are in a vegetative (actively growing) stage. The light source 170 components are installed in mogul sockets connected in parallel which are attached to the end of the offset extensions of the offset light source stand 180. The sockets are supplied with electricity through circuits attached to the offset light source stand 180 structure and connected to the power source 240. A reflector tray 190 for example configured using the reflective characteristics of Mylar plastic sheets can be positioned on the floor surface below the light source 170 to reflect the illumination to the underside of the vegetation to allow full illumination to all portions of the vegetation of one embodiment of the present invention.
The stackable cultivation tower system installed indoors eliminates tilling, soil preparation, extensive irrigation canals or piping, exposure to insect damage and use of insecticides, crop damage due to unpredictable drought, floods and variant temperatures. The stackable cultivation tower system requires only a small area within which many plants can cultivated. It reduces water use with recycling while supplying dependable consistent irrigation. The stackable cultivation tower system allows cultivation of any variety of plants in a controlled environment that promotes rapid growth and high yields of harvested quality plant products in a fraction of the space required by conventional agricultural methods of one embodiment of the present invention.
An interior coupling 320 can be for example a section of pipe of an outside dimension matching the interior dimension of the hub end 310 cut to twice the length for insertion into the hub end 310. The interior coupling 320 is inserted into either the top or bottom hub end 310 of the all hub single wye 300. The balance of the length of the interior coupling 320 is inserted into the hub end 310 of the corresponding all hub single wye 300 hub end 310 positioned above or below thereby joining the two all hub single wye 300 sections. An adhesive such as PVC cement is can be used to secure the inserted interior coupling 320 to both of the all hub single wye 300 components forming a section of the stackable cultivation tower 100 of
A different type of vegetation to be cultivated for example a fruit plant 410 is planted into the well draining planting medium which has been prepared in the mesh pot 350. The planted mesh pot 350 is inserted into the hub end 310 of the plant holder module 106 of the lower all hub single wye 300 of one embodiment of the present invention.
An interior coupling 320 is coated with an adhesive and inserted into the upper all hub single wye 300. The remaining exposed portion of the interior coupling 320 is coated with an adhesive and inserted into the lower all hub single wye 300. The assembled components complete a section of the stackable cultivation tower 100 of
The stackable cultivation tower can be assembled in various configurations using different components and oriented in differing positions.
The reflector tray 190 will reflect the light to the underside of the vegetation planted in each plant holder module 106 of FIG. of one embodiment of the present invention. The master irrigation feed line 150 is configured to connect to the pump 140 and extended up to a position above the 12 stackable cultivation tower 100 assemblies and further extended in a looping configuration. Individual irrigation feeder supply system 160 of
The pump 140 is configured as a submersible pump placed into the reservoir 140. Electricity is provided by a connection from the power source 240 to the timer 230. The pump 140 is connected to the timer 230 to allow for example the pump 140 to be operated at time intervals to produce optimal irrigation of the vegetation being cultivated. The configuration of the stackable cultivation tower system illustrated in
The light source 170 bulbs can be configured to be installed on the offset light source stand 180 connected to a power source 240. A timer 230 can control the lighting luminescence pattern by turning power on an off at set time intervals to one or more ballast 760 used to power the light source 170 bulbs. The power to the light source 170 bulbs passes through one or more electric circuit 770 attached to for example one or more offset extension 780 of the offset light source stand 180. Each electric circuit 770 can be connected to a mogul socket 790 used to install and connect the light source 170 bulbs of one embodiment of the present invention.
The light source 170 can be configured for example as 400 to 1000 watt Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium bulbs. The light source 170 bulbs can radiant substantial amounts of unregulated heat. The radiant heat warms the air that is surrounding the vegetation being cultivated. The unregulated heated air coming in contact with the vegetation can reach temperatures that can for example damage the plants causing wilting, drying or even kill the plant of one embodiment of the present invention. The cool vertical light tube system 700 provides a process to cool the air immediately surrounding each light source 170 and exhaust the heated air. The cool vertical light tube system 700 can be created using common materials. A base 720 can be configured as a weighted structure for example a block concrete or a support container 120 of
The vertical structure of the cool vertical light tube system 700 can be formed by stacking one or more translucent tube structure section 725 and attaching the lowest section to the slip-hub single wye 330. The translucent tube structure section 725 can be configured to use translucent or transparent materials that allow the light produced by the light source 170 to illuminate the vegetation of one embodiment of the present invention.
The cool air intake flow drawn from outdoors 715 passes around one or more light source 170 forcing the heated air to rise. The rising heated air flows a 90 degree elbow 730 attached to the top section of the cool vertical light tube structure to a section of exhaust pipe 740. The section of exhaust pipe 740 is connected to an exhaust ventilating fan 750. The exhaust ventilating fan 750 is powered from a power source 240 and can be configured to create an air flow for example 600 cubic feet per minute.
The exhaust ventilating fan 750 can be configured to additional sections of exhaust pipe 740 terminating at an outlet to the outdoors. The exhaust ventilating fan 750 forces the heated exhaust air flow to outdoors 745. The exhaust ventilating fan 750 operation can for example be controlled by a temperature sensitive thermostat thereby allowing the cool vertical light tube system 700 to regulate the temperature of the indoor cultivation environment of one embodiment of the present invention.
The foregoing has described the principles, embodiments and modes of operation of the present invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed. The above described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and it should be appreciated that variations may be made in those embodiments by workers skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61428974 | Dec 2010 | US |
