Hydroponic growing apparatus
OwnerVincent P. Carlinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydroponic plant growing apparatus is disclosed wherein a nutrient enriched liquid is flowed within a series of ducts adapted to mount a plurality of planting cups, each of which support a sterile media and a plant seedling. The planting cup includes an apertured bottom surface which permits capillary action of the nutrient liquid into the support media as well as allows the root system of each plant to extend into the duct yet isolates the sterile media from direct flow contact with the nutrient liquid. The individual plant cups eliminate contamination of the nutrient liquid, facilitate easy removal and replacement of individual plants on the apparatus, and form an effective seal with the ducts yielding a substantially hermetically sealed apparatus which is not susceptible to rain contamination, evaporation, or algae growth.
Claims8
A hydroponic growing apparatus comprising:
- a hollow duct including an inlet and outlet positioned adjacent opposite ends of said duct to define a series flow path through said duct;
- means for circulating a liquid through said inlet and said outlet;
- and
- planting cup means removably mounted to said duct for supporting an inert media and a plant within said duct, said planting cup means including aperture means for permitting said liquid to be drawn by capillary action into said media while prohibiting said media from entering said liquid in said duct and for permitting the roots of the plant to extend through said aperture means below said cup means into the lower portion of said duct;
- said planting cup means sized to provide a drainage area within said duct below said aperture means;
- and
- means for cyclically varying the level of liquid between a first level wetting a portion of said media and a second lower level wetting only the extended roots but not said media at predetermined, time intervals to continuously maintain a sufficient quantity of liquid within said duct to prevent dehydration of said plant.
A hydroponic apparatus for growing plants in a soilless environment comprising:
- a hollow duct disposed generally horizontally and having a plurality of apertures formed in its top;
- a plurality of cups each adapted to be placed in one of said apertures and extending part way into said duct with the bottom of each cup spaced above the bottom of said duct;
- aperture means in each cup for permitting the roots of a plant contained in the cup to extend out of the cup into the duct portion below the cup, while retaining the planting media in the cup;
- inlet means at one end of said duct;
- outlet means at the other end of said duct;
- means for supplying liquid to said inlet to flow through the duct in contact with the roots of plants in the lower portion of the duct and out said outlet;
- and
- a bypass conduit being root impermeable along its length and located in the lower portion of said duct extending along most of the length of said duct and providing an alternative flow path through said duct from said inlet to said outlet substantially free of obstruction by roots.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.