US 2020/0367455 A1 · RECIRCULATING PLANT GROWING MECHANISM

Abstract

An automated recirculating plant growing mechanism, in one embodiment it is disclosed as having: a hermetically sealed frame; at least one conveying tray operable to constrain, maintain the temperature of, and vary the offset distance between rooting medias; a drive mechanism operable to recirculate at least one conveying tray or at least one light bar cleaning assembly around a prescribed conveying path; at least one air lock mechanism operable to seal and unseal the recirculating plant growing mechanism, and operable to remove from and install onto the conveying drive mechanism a conveying tray; at least one light emitting bar operable to emit light and be positioned around a crops canopy; and at least one watering station operable to sense root zone conditions and inject nutrients into rooting media.

Claims24

Dependent claims

1-15. (canceled)

A recirculating plant conveying mechanism comprising:

(a) at least one conveying frame clad in a hermetic material operable to isolate said recirculating plant conveying mechanism from ambient outside air and operable to support components of the recirculating plant conveying mechanism;
(b) at least one conveying tray assembly operable to support and constrain rooting media of at least one plant;
(c) at least one conveyor drive assembly operable to support and recirculate said at least one conveying tray assembly around a prescribed conveying path;
(d) at least one exit gate assembly operable to lock and unlock said at least one conveying tray assembly to said at least one conveyor drive assembly, and operable to open and close said at least one conveyor drive assembly;
(e) at least one air lock transfer assembly operable, in conjunction with said at least one conveying frame clad in a hermetic material, to isolate said recirculating plant conveying mechanism from ambient outside air;
(f) at least one tray clamping actuator assembly operable to clamp said at least one conveying tray assembly;
(g) at least one air lock transfer actuator assembly operable to clamp and to transport said at least one conveying tray assembly from an entrance of said recirculating plant conveying mechanism to said at least one exit gate assembly, said at least one an air lock transfer actuator assembly is operable to clamp and to transport said at least one conveying tray assembly from said entrance of the recirculating plant conveying mechanism to said at least one exit gate assembly.

4 more elements

A recirculating plant conveying mechanism comprising:

(a) at least one conveying frame operable to support components of the recirculating plant conveying mechanism;
(b) at least one conveying tray assembly operable to support and constrain rooting media of at least one plant;
(c) at least one conveyor drive assembly operable to support and recirculate said at least one conveying tray assembly around a prescribed conveying path;
(d) at least one watering station assembly operable to fertigate and/or water said rooting media of said at least one plant constrained in said at least one conveying tray recirculating around said prescribed conveying path and when said at least one conveying tray is aligned with said at least one a watering station assembly relative to said prescribed conveying path;
(e) at least one fertigation injection probe movable, when said at least one conveying tray assembly recirculating around said prescribed conveying path is aligned with said at least one watering station assembly between a first position, wherein said at least one fertigation injection probe is remote from said at least one conveying tray, and a second position, wherein said at least one fertigation injection probe is within said rooting media of said at least one plant constrained in said at least one conveying tray.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Recirculating plant growing mechanism

Life of this patent

Recirculating plant growing mechanism

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24