Patent Application
20120212883
The present invention generally relates to the electronic controller used in the indoor gardening environment and specifically to the electronic chassis solutions available in that application.
The present invention relates to the environment in which plants are grown indoors and to the controller chassis solutions available in this environment. Humid and wet is always a problem in the indoor growing environment, especially for hydroponic systems that have substantial water reserves that are susceptible to evaporation, making for a warm high humid atmosphere. That warm humid atmosphere with water being occasionally splashed or spilled, creates a hostile environment for digital and analog electronics. As the common users for the subject controller consist primarily of hobby growers, there is a need to make the system resistant to misuse which historically includes using the controller chassis as a shelf for nutrients or beverages.
Today's indoor plant growing control systems are expected to monitor conditions such as temperature, humidity, oxygen, and ph levels, while managing pumps, CO2 generators, fans, HVAC units, artificial lighting, and valves. The challenge is to successfully enclose the controller's electronics in an enclosure that protects the electronics from the hostile environment, while allowing for easy install and economical manufacture.
One approach that the industry has taken in enclosing controller electronics is a plastic or polycarbonate enclosure, with a rubber o-ring as a seal on top of the perimeter of the open side. The box has the electronics mounted within, and then a cover compressively seals against the o-ring on the open side making for a “water proof” seal. In practice however, these “water proof” enclosures get moisture within due to condensation, or an ineffectual seal at the user interface components, power cord entry, or outlets.
Water seeping through a button, display seal, or a power plug is a common problem with controller chassis of this type. If moisture or water seeps into a sealed plastic enclosure, the moisture cannot get out, and the inside of the enclosure becomes more destructive to the electronic components than the outside environment that the enclosure was meant to protect against.
A second shortcoming of a plastic box is the lack of heat conduction. The electronics in a sealed plastic box have no available method of cooling, as all of the heated air is trapped. Further, the plastic box does not conduct heat effectively, it insulates, negating the positive effect of heat sinking the electronics to lower operating temperatures.
A third shortcoming of a sealed plastic box when used in the growing environment for plants is UV and other degrading light radiation. High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps produce damaging light and heat, that over time and exposure, degrades plastic components.
The hobby grower often is the cause for failure of electronics in the indoor growing environment. Accidentally spilled or sprayed water that gets within an enclosure destroys electronics if the electronics are mounted towards the bottom of the chassis. Water that gets in and can't get out is also a common cause of electronic failure as the heat generated from the electronics causes evaporation that further increases the humidity within the enclosure causing corrosion and failures.
Misuse as a shelf can cause the chassis to fail structurally or be susceptible to leaks, drips, or condensation from items put on the chassis top.
Current electronic controller chassis solutions do not effectively provide passive cooling for the electronics located within the chassis while providing a water shedding enclosure that prevents the trapping of moisture therein while by design, is preventative to misuse as a shelf.
Provide a chassis to protect controller electronics from the hostile indoor growing environment commonly encountered in a green house, a grow tent, or an indoor grow room as operated by the hobby grower. The problem of inexpensively containing sensitive controller electronics in wet or humid environments is solved by successfully enclosing the electronics in a water resistant enclosure constructed from sheet metal comprising a mounting platform that also acts as a heat sink that is enclosed by a cover that is impervious to dripped, splashed, or spilled water, having an top cover portion that promotes the shedding of water while preventing placement of vessels of liquid on the controller chassis. A secondary unanticipated benefit of the top cover portion is the distinguishing display platform for logo or brand name when displayed at retail stores or product conventions.
The chassis has many advantages over the prior art, including:
According to one embodiment shown herein as the preferred embodiment, the invention provides an enclosure to protect controller electronics. Throughout this specification reference to features, advantages, or other descriptive or illustrative language does not imply or suggest that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any way limited by the single embodiment shown herein. Language referring to the features and advantages should be understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment, and can be simply illustrative of how other embodiments may be derived from the inventive features and elements described herein. Different sizes and shapes utilized in different embodiments than shown are all part of the inventive art.
The chassis has two components, a backing plate and a cover constructed entirely from sheet metal, and after the electronic components are installed, the two components are attached together with common threaded fasteners, rivets, or other through hole fastener techniques. The electronic components are vertically contact mounted and heat sinked to the flat plate on the opposite side of the air gap, thereby encouraging conductive cooling while keeping the electronics clear of the chassis bottom where water may collect during condensation conditions. A second advantage of mounting the electronics vertically on the flat plate is that any condensation within the enclosure will drip down more towards the flat front portion of the cover, because of the cover's slanted top cover portion. Electrical components relating to user interface such as buttons, plugs, or displays sealingly secure into apertures of the cover.
The electronics, and outlet plugs are installed onto the mounting platform, and user interface buttons, displays, or plugs install into the cover's flat front portion, having the bottom of the cover receive the power cord and sensor wires. The cover is placed over the mounting platform and conductive connections are made between the components mounted on the mounting platform to the components mounted within and through the cover. After all electrical connections are made, the cover and backing plate are mated together by placing the cover over the backing plate and fixated with through hole fasteners such as bolts, rivets, screws, and assembly is complete.
After the cover is attached to the mounting platform, the enclosure is impervious to splashed or spilled water when falling from above, while still allowing a small amount of air communication between the electronics and the outside environment. Louvered vents or other air apertures may be cut into the cover or mounting platform to increase external air communication for additional cooling of electrical components that require greater heat dissipation, and so long as the top cover portion remains continuous and sealed, the most common water hazard from falling from above is protected against.
The air communication between the internal space within enclosure and the outside environment is necessary to allow moist air within to escape the chassis enclosure when the electronics are at heated operating temperatures.
The top cover portion sheds water when spilled or splashed, and prevents the misuse of setting objects, drinks, or nutrients on top of the controller box. The prior art and currently sold electronic controllers sold today, are enclosed in box type enclosures, having a flat top that is parallel to the ground, having no slope or slant. The instant invention benefits from an angled top cover portion, the angle of the top was a balanced development tradeoff between manufacturing costs and the water shedding performance of the enclosure. More material is needed the steeper the angle of the top, and a steeper top complicated the assembly process. While testing different angles for the top, an unexpected secondary benefit was observed. In practice, most controller enclosures are mounted 3-5 feet off the ground when displayed at retail stores or product conventions, thereby making the top cover portion below eye level to the would be consumer. Lights are almost always located directly above and directing light down towards the displays at retail stores, and for product conventions. Product identifiers like logos or art located on this angled top cover portion were better illuminated from above than the same logos or art placed on the flat front portion. As the logo or art on the angled top cover portion was better illuminated by more light, an unexpected result of capturing the eye of the user was observed during development. Through further development efforts, a range of angles for the top cover portion were determined that maintained the easy assembly feature, had good water shedding performance, prevented misuse as a shelf, and attracted consumers' attentions to the product identifiers. The successful angles meeting the above objectives and criteria while maintaining all of the disclosed advantages, was for the top cover portion as compared to ground to be at least 10 degrees, and no more than 45 degrees in slope angle. For the preferred embodiment shown herein, a mid angle within the range was shown at 23 degrees.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, and are included to illustrate and provide a further understanding of the sheet metal construction, configuration of components, and visually explain the features and function of the invention.
The electronic components and conductive connections are not shown in the below figures or described herein, as it is well known in the art how to install electrical components on to a flat plate. It is also well known and understood in the art how to attach electrical components through sheet metal apertures.
Not all applications allow for a smooth flat mounting surface 90 as shown in
The fold over edges 160 of the cover 100 go over the right side 30 and left side 40. The right side holes 31 and left side holes 41 align with corresponding right edge holes 161 and left edge holes 162, the top lip holes 21 align with the top tab holes 115, and the bottom tab holes 151 align with the bottom step holes 51. In the preferred embodiment, the backing plate 10 holes are threaded or benefit from threaded nuts permanently attached to the inside of the right side holes 31, left side holes 41, top lip holes 21, and bottom step holes 51 constructed to receive a screw or bolt fastener that fit through the cover 10 holes for easier assembly.
