WO2000033642A1

WO2000033642A1 - A growing device for plants

Info

Publication number: WO2000033642A1
Application number: PCT/NZ1999/000203
Authority: WO
Inventors: Graham Richard Garrett
Original assignee: BENNETT MANFRED
Current assignee: BENNETT MANFRED
Priority date: 1998-12-04
Filing date: 1999-12-01
Publication date: 2000-06-15
Anticipated expiration: 2001-06-04
Also published as: AU1419100A

Abstract

The invention comprises a growing device (1) comprising a chamber (2), means (15, 16) to create a liquid mist within the chamber (2), and apertures (18) in at least an upper surface (17) of the chamber (2) in which plants may be suspended in use, the upper surface (17) being shaped or otherwise adapted so that liquid contacting the upper surface (17) will tend to run therefrom without substantial aggregation of such droplets.

Description

A GROWING DEVICE FOR PLANTS

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a growing device and has been devised particularly, though not

necessarily solely, to provide a mist spray hydroponic growing device for plants.

BACKGROUND ART

Mist spray hydroponic devices are devices where at least the roots of a plant are held within a

chamber which is supplied with a spray mist of a liquid, usually water containing suitable nutrients for the plants to grow.

Such constructions have been disadvantageous in that there has been a tendency for droplets of

water to condense on and/or cling to. in particular, the upper surface of the chamber where the

droplets may aggregate and drop from the chamber top to the base of the chamber.

Of course there is a substantial risk that in dropping the droplets will contact the growing roots of the plant. It has been found that if the drops are any larger than about 0.1 mm in drop size then root

damage occurs which can lead either to a substantial reduction in cropping, or indeed to the death of the plant.

This is of course disadvantageous.

OBJECT

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a growing device which will obviate or minimise the foregoing disadvantage in a simple yet effective manner, or which will at least

provide the public with a useful choice.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Accordingly in one aspect the invention consists in a growing device comprising a chamber, means to create a liquid mist within the chamber, and apertures in at least an upper surface of

the chamber in which plants may be suspended in use, the upper surface being shaped or

otherwise adapted so that liquid contacting the upper surface will tend to run therefrom without substantial aggregation of such droplets.

Preferably the upper surface is in the form of a flattened curve.

Preferably the maximum height of the surface from its lowest point in use is approximately half

the height that the maximum point would have been if the surface had been semi-circular in transverse cross-section. Preferably the apertures receive pots having a aperture in the bottom thereof.

Preferably the pots are formed of a liquid impervious material.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and

widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a growing device according to one preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-section through the device of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-section through the device of Fig. 1, but with a rearranged configuration. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings a growing device 1 is provided which comprises a chamber 2 which is able to be opened so that access can be gained to the interior. This may be achieved by providing

the chamber in the form of a bottom part 3 and a top part 4.

The bottom part 3 may be substantialh' of any desired shape in cross-section but the

substantially semi-circular shape shown in the figures has been found to be satisfactory.

A liquid, for example water, supply system is provided, and this is shown in the drawings as two pipes 5 and 6 which may be fed from a common inlet pipe 7. The pressure is supplied by a pump 8 which draws the water from a tank 9 into which suitable nutrients may be dissolved.

The pipes 5 and 6 are provided with spray heads 15 and 16 to allow a mist spray to be formed within the chamber.

The upper part 4 of the chamber 2 is shaped at its upper surface 17 so that there is little or

minimal tendency for droplets of water contacting or condensing onto the inner face of the upper surface 17 to aggregate into droplets. The available shapes are found empirically but it has been

found that a shape that provides a curved surface 17 preferably in a regular curve provides the

best shape. Flats 20 and 21 are desirably provided at each edge of the curved surface 17 so as to limit the width of the construction. The total curvature and height of the flats is preferably such

that the highest point of the upper surface 17 is approximately half the height above the bottom edge 23 of the top part 4, that the highest point would be had the top part 4 been a semi-circle in transverse cross-section.

Suitable connections are provided between the lower part 3 and the upper part 4 and this may be

achieved for example by providing a lip 30 at the upper edge of the lower part, and a flange 31 which is able to be positioned into the lip 30 in use.

The upper part 4 and in particular the upper surface 17 are provided with means whereby plants may be suspended with at least their roots within the mist chamber 33 formed by the lower part

3 and upper part 4. These may desirably take the form of apertures 18 and in the embodiment

shown in the figures, a substantial number of apertures in a number of rows are shown. The precise configuration depends upon the dimensions of the chamber and for example the chamber

could be made narrower with two rows or wider as desired.

The plants may be suspended, for example in a pot 35 which may be of substantially standard

form but have at least one aperture in the lower part thereof. It has been found that a pot of impervious material such as a plastics material is desirable.

In alternative constructions a rubber insert 36 could be used with an aperture there-through to hold the plant but also allow the stem of the plant to expand as it grows. Other suspension mechanisms could be used. An outlet 40 is provided from the lower part of the chamber to return liquid to the holding tank 9 after it has fallen to the floor of the holding chamber.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 a spacing block 42 has been provided around the lip 30. The

top part 4 has then been inverted and a mesh or gauze material 44 placed over the surface containing the apertures 18. Plants such as bulbs 45 are then placed on the gauze and covered

with a suitable inert material such as vermiculite 46.

The device in each embodiment is operated simply by causing pump 8 to supply nutrient

material to pipe 7. and then to the branch pipes 5 and 6 where a spray mist is created within the chamber 33 by means of the spray heads 15 and 16, for example. The plant will then grow and

can be harvested in any suitable manner.

A suitable size of the construction could be for example 2m long by 900mm wide holding about 36 plants.

The invention also envisages that options could be provided for warming the cylinder, for example by use of dark colours, or light colours if it is desired to keep the construction cool and also a substantially transparent cover could be provided (indicated pecked at 50 in Fig. 2) so that the upper parts of the plant outside the growing device described are in the form substantially of a type of hot-house. The water itself could also be warmed if desired and banks or multiple units could also be provided. Thus it can be seen that at least in the preferred form of the invention a growing device is provided which has the advantage that spray mist technology can be used in a simple manner, but where there is a reduced tendency for droplets of water to aggregate to fall onto and damage

the plant roots.

It is also an advantage of the invention that it is believed that this construction will tend to

reduce the likelihood of algae growth and also gives the advantages of spray mist construction which allows substantial spread of roots and thereby the mist spray can penetrate the mass of fine roots.

Furthermore the shape allows even plants near the longitudinal edges of the chamber to be held in a plane which is close to horizontal.

It is believed with this construction that growing times can be substantially reduced whilst

allowing substantial increase in crops over conventional growing systems.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A growing device comprising a chamber, means to create a liquid mist within the chamber,

and apertures in at least an upper surface of the chamber in which plants may be suspended

in use. the upper surface being shaped or otherwise adapted so that liquid contacting the

upper surface will tend to run therefrom without substantial aggregation of such droplets.

2. A growing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein upper surface is in the form of a flattened

curve.

3. A growing device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the maximum height of the surface from its lowest point in use is approximately half the height that the maximum point would have been if the surface had been semi-circular in transverse cross-section.

4. A growing device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the apertures

receive pots having a aperture in the bottom thereof.

5. A growing device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the pots are formed of a liquid impervious material.

6. A growing device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.