Patent ID: 11856902
Assignee: MJNN LLC
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC A  Y | IPC A

Claim 6:
7. A crop production facility for controlled environment agriculture, comprising:
a nutrient and thermal corridor;
an array of one or more grow rooms adjacent to the nutrient and thermal corridor, the array having a first end and a second end, the array extending substantially parallel to the nutrient and thermal corridor; wherein each of the grow rooms comprises a substantially encapsulated growth environment containing a vertical grow tower conveyance system comprising
one or more grow lines, wherein each of the one or more grow lines comprises a first path section, a second path section, and a return mechanism operative to transfer grow towers from the first path section to the second path section;
a plurality of grow towers, each of the plurality of grow towers vertically attached to, and moveable along, a respective one of the one or more grow lines, wherein each of the plurality of grow towers includes a plurality of grow sites extending at least along one face thereof; and
a grow tower conveyance mechanism operative to convey grow towers along the first path section in a first direction, and along the second path section in a second direction opposite the first direction;

a central processing system, arranged adjacent to the array of one or more grow rooms and opposite the nutrient and thermal corridor, comprising
a harvester station comprising a crop harvesting machine, and a feeder mechanism to receive a grow tower in a horizontal orientation and feed the grow tower through the crop harvesting machine in a horizontal orientation;
a washing station comprising a second feeder mechanism to receive a grow tower in a horizontal orientation and feed the grow tower through the washing station in a horizontal orientation;
a transplanter station comprising a third feeder mechanism to receive a grow tower in a horizontal orientation and feed the grow tower through the transplanter station in a horizontal orientation;
a plurality of conveyors arranged to convey grow towers to and from respective ones of the harvester station, the washing station and the transplanter station, wherein the plurality of conveyors include a first conveyor arranged to feed a grow tower to the harvester station, a second conveyor arranged to feed a grow tower to the washing station, a third conveyor arranged to feed a grow tower to the transplanter station, and a fourth conveyor arranged to feed a grow tower from the transplanter station to a pickup location; and

an automated laydown station comprising a first robot including an end effector adapted to releasably grasp a grow tower, and control logic operative to cause the first robot to pick the grow tower from a pick location in a vertical orientation, rotate the grow tower to a horizontal orientation and place the tower on a conveyor for loading into the harvester station;
an automated pickup station comprising a second robot including an end effector adapted to releasably grasp a grow tower, and control logic operative to cause the second robot to grasp a grow tower from the pickup location in a horizontal orientation, rotate the grow tower to a vertical orientation for transfer to a select grow line of the plurality of grow lines; and
a propagation space adjacent to the first end of the array and interfacing with the nutrient and thermal corridor.