Cleaner system and method for plant growing media
AssigneeJust Greens, LLC
InventorEdward D. Harwood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for cleaning a cloth or fabric that has been used for growing plants. The cloth or fabric may be separated from or mounted with respect to a tray or support during the cleaning operation. At least two opposed, rotating brushes engage the top and bottom surfaces of the cloth or fabric to abrade and clean those surfaces. In addition, spray units, e.g., high pressure fluid nozzles, may direct cleaning fluid against one or both surfaces of the cloth or fabric. Filtration and sterilization systems may also be associated with the cleaning operation.
Claims14
A method for cleaning a cloth or fabric used in a plant growing operation, comprising:
- a. engaging a cloth or fabric used to grow plants thereon between top and bottom engagement surfaces of a feed system;
- b. feeding the cloth or fabric at a linear feed rate between two opposed cleaning brushes that are spaced apart and rotating at angular velocities in an opposite direction relative to each other, thereby frictionally engaging and applying a force to both surfaces of the cloth or fabric through rotational motion of the two opposed cleaning brushes, wherein a first cleaning brush of the two opposed cleaning brushes frictionally engages and applies a force to a first surface of the cloth or fabric, and a second cleaning brush of the two opposed cleaning brushes frictionally engages and applies a force to a surface of the cloth or fabric that is opposite the first surface, wherein the angular velocities of the oppositely rotating cleaning brushes is greater than the linear feed rate of the cloth or fabric, thereby maintaining the cloth or fabric under tension as it is fed between the opposed cleaning brushes;
- and
- c. directing cleaning fluid to one or both surfaces of the cloth or fabric;
- wherein the cleaning brushes and the cleaning fluid are effective to clean both surfaces of the cloth or fabric for reuse in a plant growing system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.