System for hydroponically growing plants, apparatus and method therefor
OwnerBarry Winsburyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a system for growing plants without soil, comprising a container (1) for containing a plant liquid nutrient reservoir; a support unit (2; 22) mounted in the container (1) above the floor thereof and extending substantially horizontally therein for supporting a plant to be grown; a lid for the container provided with a plant growth aperture (13) for the plant to grow up through; means (20; 34) for continuously circulating the plant liquid nutrient and for maintaining flow thereof in association with the support unit (2; 22); means for emptying and charging the plant liquid nutrient reservoir. The invention also includes a method of growing plants utilizing such a system.
Claims11
A system for growing plants without soil, which system comprises
- (a) a main container (1) providing a plant liquid nutrient reservoir in a base thereof;
- (b) a support unit (2;
- 22) mounted in the main container for physically supporting a plant or plant seed to be grown;
- (c) means (20;
- 34) for continuously circulating a flow of liquid nutrient to the support unit (2;
- 22) for supplying liquid nutrient to a plant or seed supported by the support unit;
- and
- (d) means (5, 8, 9) for charging the liquid nutrient reservoir in the container (1);
- and characterised by:
- (e) the main container having a top that is open;
- (f) the elongate support unit being mounted within the container below the top and above the base and extending substantially horizontally across the main container;
- (g) a close fitting lid being provided for closing the container (1) to provide an enclosed space within the container where a moist atmosphere can accumulate and where a plant or seed can grow, the lid being formed with a plant growth aperture (13) for the plant to grow up through;
- and
- (h) the circulating means being arranged to flow the liquid nutrient across the support unit for supplying the plant to be grown with nutrient, whereby in use a plant seed or bare-rooted plant seedling may be supported on the support unit in the absence of growth medium and may remain in contact with the flow of circulating liquid nutrient, thereby growing both aeroponically in the environment between the lid (3) and the support unit (2;
- 22) and hydroponically towards the plant growth aperture (13).
A system according to claim 3 characterised in that the at least one overflow aperture (11;
- 31) comprises at least one slot extending longitudinally of the support unit.
A system according to claim 4 characterised in that the at least one slot comprises one of an elongate slot extending along a major part of the length of the support unit and a plurality of short slots or cut-outs running along a longitudinal axis of the support unit.
A system according to any preceding claim, further characterised by a water-permeable covering over at least a portion of the support unit.
A system according to any preceding claim characterised in that the plant growth aperture in the lid is of minimal dimensions for retaining moisture in the main container.
A system according to any preceding claim characterised in that the main container (21) is trough-like, and the lid is elongate and has elongate plant growth aperture means (33) therein.
A system according to any preceding claim characterised in that a plurality of the support units (2) are mounted within the container above the base, each such support unit extending substantially horizontally across the container for supporting plants to be grown.
A system according to any preceding claim characterised in that the support unit (2) is supported within the main container by a support conduit (5) connected to the inside of the support unit (2).
A system according to any preceding claim characterised in that the faces of the main container (1) are appropriately sized, and the upper vertices thereof are angled, so as to accommodate stepped or shelved additional support means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.