Abstract:
A self-watering and self-lighting hydroponic system is disclosed for optimal plant growth. The apparatus comprises of a reservoir that contains nutrient-rich aqueous solution, a structure that incorporates plant pods, a light system to optimally grow plants at desired wavelengths, and a power source. The growing medium and container may be self-standing or attached to another container in a modular fashion. A tube for transporting nutrient rich solution is connected to a reservoir in the base of the apparatus. The specified flow rate of the solution may be dictated by manual or app driven technology. The tube is connected to an elevated emitter and positioned so the solution disperses evenly throughout the system.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/076,763, filed Nov. 7, 2014, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to hydroponics and, in particular, to a self-watering and self-lighting system to optimize plant growth. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Living plants improve space aesthetically, improve air quality, and are therefore particularly desirable in occupied living spaces. In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of people who wish to grow their own food, especially in environments where the task was once daunting—such as indoor or in city spaces. So-called “food deserts,” areas where little fresh food is easily accessible, have become prevalent in cities around the world where residents tend to consume processed, packaged, or canned food with depleted nutrients. 
         [0004]    There is accordingly a need for system and/or method that enables a person to grow a large assortment of plants for a variety of purposes in a hydroponic environment without taking up too much space or using up their window sources for natural sunlight. Also, many urban dwellings have limited to little or no window space which makes growing one&#39;s own food difficult. Growing plants for consumption provides cost savings on impending surges in food prices. Additionally, the cultivation of plants has been proven to foster a healthy lifestyle through dietary and therapeutic benefits. 
         [0005]    Many people find the task of watering plants on a schedule to be overwhelming. People tend to either overwater or underwater their vegetation that results in plant loss. A significant amount of time and energy is required to support plant life, which can incorporate watering, weeding, pruning etc. In the past, both aeroponic and hydroponic systems have been tested. Hydroponics is said to provide healthier plants that grow faster than those grown in soil. Although hydroponic proves to deliver maximum nutrition to plant roots in addition to proper aeration, in the absence of a soil substitute larger systems are required to house these structures. Additionally, some hydroponic methods do not allow optimal ventilation for the root system. 
         [0006]    To address these issues, aeroponics was used to grow plants in an air or mist environment. Some large scale aeroponics and hydroponic devices cannot be easily incorporated into smaller environments, where there is demand for self-contained plants systems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention addresses the deficiencies of the prior art with respect to hydroponic growing. This invention manifests a hybrid of both technologies (i.e. hydroponic and aeroponics) that allows plants to grow optimally, but in a smaller system using a spraying technology. A plurality of plants arranged in a growing structure are illuminated using “near-sunlight” conditions to enhance their growth potential, and thereby, maximize plant production per unit area or per unit volume. 
         [0008]    The preferred embodiments take the form of a self-contained hydroponic system for growing a plurality of plants configured as plant pods, each pod having a root portion and a foliage portion. The system includes a vessel having a wall with an outer surface, an upper end, and an interior with a reservoir containing an aqueous solution. The wall of the vessel includes a plurality of holes, each adapted to receive one of the plant pods, such that the root portions of the pods are within the interior of the vessel and the foliage portions extend away from the outer surface of the vessel. A pump, connected to an emitter within the interior of the vessel, delivers the aqueous solution to the root portions of the plant pods, and a light system coupled to the upper end of the vessel illuminate the foliage portions. 
         [0009]    The pump may be a submersible pump, and the apparatus may include a tube coupled to the emitter, and/or a plant support structure. As an example, the apparatus may include a trellis-like body containing multiple openings throughout the structure that may retain seed containers. In all embodiments, plant foliage is offset from top to bottom, allowing all plants to receive an adequate amount of light. 
         [0010]    A preferred embodiment may have a liquid conduit to transport a nutrient-rich aerated aqueous solution vertically upwards from the base reservoir to the top adjustable emitter using a submersible pump. A height-adjustable emitter may be provided to disperse the solution evenly throughout the structure, propelling the solution to all plant roots contained within the apparatus. 
         [0011]    The irrigation portion of the apparatus may further comprise a base support integrated into the reservoir base that connects to the outer trellis structure by a series connection points. The base support may include a container holding solution in communication with the pump, such that the pump, reservoir, and tube form a closed-loop, re-circulating system. In another non-limiting embodiment, the base connects to more than one trellis system and all trellis systems return their solution to the reservoir; wherein the reservoir, pump, trellis systems, and multiple tubes form a re-circulating system. 
         [0012]    In the preferred embodiment the light system includes surface-mounted LEDs configured to deliver light to the most plants. The light system will act as a grow light that provides the radiation necessary for the plants to grow. The light system may illuminate all plants contained within the system in multiple lighting patterns controlled by the user by means of a mobile app or manual control. 
         [0013]    The light system may also have a light sensor that regulates the LED output based on the ambient light found within the surrounding environment. The invention may further include a clock module which allows the system to continue timing during power outages. When main power resumes, the LEDs and associated electronic devices return to their proper states based on the clock module. The clock module may also work in communication with a Bluetooth module or Wi-Fi chip in some embodiments. LED frequencies chosen at specific wavelength ranges may be pre programmed for optimal plant growth. The light system may be controlled by app-driven software. In other non-limiting embodiment, the hydroponic growing apparatus may have a wall mounted structure comprising of multiple shelves. The apparatus can be irrigated through an arrangement similar to a multi-trellis system. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is an elevated view of the apparatus including its planting components; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view looking up towards the LED light system; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a section view of the electrical and mechanical components of the embodiment; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a section view showing the vessel may be disassembled into multiple pieces for easy cleaning; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram illustrating major electronic components and subassemblies. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    This invention relates to a closed-loop hydroponic system and method. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the hydroponic growing apparatus comprises of a generally conical vessel  48  which can be made from a variety of flexible or solid materials such as but not limited to plastic, recycled materials, fabric, or silicone. The generally conical vessel  48  contains plurality of openings  58  that may be structured as open pods in any number of configurations. 
         [0021]    The opening  58  may contain a net pot  28  that is configured to accommodate a substrate plant plug  26 . In another embodiment, the growth of plant  24  may be in a substrate tube. The apparatus  10  may be configured for different type of plants  24  and may use different substrates  36  such as but not limited to growing sponge, clay pellets, or grow stones. The apparatus  10  is constructed so as not to expose the inside of the apparatus  10  to the outside light and for that reason such construction hampers the growth of unwanted bacteria and mold. 
         [0022]    The apparatus  10  further comprises a reservoir  62  that stores nutrient rich solution as well as insulates the solution from any external contaminants. Any excessive unused solution from the plants  24  that may be dripping is channeled back to the reservoir  62 . The reservoir  62  may be constructed from a variety of materials in different shapes or sizes. 
         [0023]    The apparatus  10  further comprises a light system  20 . The light system  20  may include a plurality of LEDs  44  and the light system  20  provides light/radiation  30  (see  FIG. 2 ) to support plants  24 .  FIG. 2  shows another embodiment of the apparatus  10 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , LEDs  44  may be mounted circumferentially on one or more rings using a mounting process, such as surface mount technology (SMT). SMT facilitates dense population of the SMT components i.e. LED  44  on the printed circuit board (PCB). In the preferred embodiment there are several light rings connected in series to accommodate lighting on each side on the planter. 
         [0024]      FIG. 6  is a system block diagram illustrating major components and subsystems. The system is controlled by a main board including a programmed microcontroller unit (MCU) labelled D in the diagram. The MCU interfaces to other subsystems including the WiFi unit and LEDs (E1-E4) through LED drivers A. VCC power is provided at 24 volts, which is stepped down at B to provide 3.3 volts for the MPU and 7 volts to power pump F. The MPU also interfaces to depth sensor, labelled G. 
         [0025]    When used for indoor growing, LED-based lights have the advantage of being more efficient than other lights. LED-based light utilizes less electricity and radiates less heat that causes water evaporation. In addition, LEDs can be focused on the photo-synthetically active regions of the light spectrum, specifically blue and red (400-500 nm and 600-700 nm respectively), which activates seedling and supports blooming phases of plant growth. LEDs improve efficiency by eliminating the need for reflectors used in the prior art. Finally, LEDs may have a lifetime of over 50,000 hours in comparison to less than 10,000 hours for High Intensity Discharge (HID) systems that lowers their overall lifetime cost of operation. 
         [0026]    The light system  20  may have a variety of lighting configurations in a range of wavelengths and may include but not limited to blue, deep blue, red, deep red, and white. The embodiment may have different configuration of wavelengths connected in series. The invention may use a combination of different wavelengths in a singular light system  20 . The light system  20  may be controlled by a user by means of a mobile app or manual control. 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the apparatus  10  may be powered by main power supply using a transformer  8  and an electrical cord  6 . Alternatively, the apparatus  10  may be powered by a solar panel  90  or a detachable battery unit  42 . Solution may be added to the apparatus  10  via a top funnel opening  54 . The reservoir  62  may have a significantly large volume for a larger, floor standing apparatus. The generally conical vessel  48  may rest upon or be connected with the reservoir  62  with the use of support elements such as but not limited to secure hooks, snaps, or rib connections. In the preferred embodiment, however, the vessel disassembles into multiple pieces shown by the horizontal broken lines, facilitating ease of cleaning. The various components may be held in position with any appropriate arrangement including nesting or frictional fit between the pieces. 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the submersible pump  22  may be situated in the reservoir  62 , wherein a tube  18  may vertically transport solution from the reservoir  62  upwards to the top emitter  34 . In the preferred embodiment the tube supplies both the solution and air for aeration purposes. In addition, the water propels from the emitter and is evenly dispersed using a “dispenser cup” that channels water down the walls of the planter directly into the net pots via ‘grooves’ on the inside wall of the body. In the preferred embodiment, there are a plurality of such grooves immediately above and orient toward each net pot receiving aperture, such that water from the emitter clinging to the inside of the body is guided by these grooves onto the respective plant pods disposed in the various net pots. 
         [0029]    Because different plants need different amount of water or nutrition, the emitter  34  may be adjustable so as to control the flow of solution. The reservoir opening  64  in reservoir  62  may be configured to connect with the one end of a tube  18 . The other end of the tube  18  may be connected to the emitter  34 . Filter  50  may be used to safeguard intake of the submersible pump  22  from becoming clogged with particulate matter that may build-up in the bottom of the reservoir  62 . The reservoir  62  may be sealed from the electrical components underneath by an electrical storage space  66 . While a float switch may alternatively be used, reservoir  62  preferably includes a depth level sensor  70  to monitor the solution level. The indicator ring  72  may give a low solution level signal, such as but not limited to visual or audio, to enable the user to add more solution. The indicator ring  72  may be positioned relative to the light system  20  to make the indicator ring  72  easy to observe by the user. 
         [0030]    Also shown in  FIG. 5 , the emitter  34  may allow for uniform distribution of the solution for the plants  24 . The apparatus  10  may have a support tube  46  around the tube  18  to provide extra protection. Alternatively, the irrigation tube may be clipped to the support tube instead of being disposed within it. Regardless of the relative placement the support tube and irrigation tubes function in the same manner. 
         [0031]    The tube  18 , the support tube  46  and the submersible pump  22  may be removed from the apparatus  10  through the funnel opening  54 . The funnel opening  54  may be used to access the reservoir  62  for cleaning and maintenance purposes. Additionally, the apparatus  10  may have a bottom entrance  52  that can be manipulated to access the reservoir  62  for cleaning and maintenance purposes. The apparatus  10  may have a heater to maintain the solution at a constant optimal temperature to keep roots of the plants  24  in a healthy state. 
         [0032]    In one embodiment, the submersible pump  22  may be attached to the tube  18  by a coupler  40  and may be operated to deliver minimum of 0.5 liter/minute of solution to each plant  24  contained within the apparatus  10  by appropriate programming of the MCU. A relay module (not shown) may alternatively be used for this purpose. The apparatus  10  may have a circuitry to operate the light system  20  and the submersible pump  22  for a pre-determined intervals; in other words the circuitry may enable the apparatus to become semi or fully-programmable. Once fully programmed, the circuitry may make the apparatus fully automated and may operate the light system  20  and the submersible pump  22  based on the ambient light conditions and the time of the day. 
         [0033]    Some of the advantages of the present invention over the prior art are that this (a) is smaller in size and scale for an ordinary user to easily use it to harvest plants for personal consumption, (b) can be scaled with relatively low cost, (c) is simple to use for those new to gardening, (d) requires less time and maintenance than other hydroponic systems, (e) uses LEDs to efficiently grow plants at the optimal wavelengths of light, (f) may be used as a counter-top sized vertical planter, (g) does not uses bulky lamps and reflectors that evaporate water and burn plants, (h) can be integrated in any empty space of home or office, as this does not need natural sunlight, therefore does not takes window space, (i) consumes less electricity than prior art, (j) keeps the solution at constant optimal temperature keeping roots healthy, (k) allows disabled and elderly arthritic patients to enjoy gardening without the use of tools or kneeling, (l) can be used to produce healthy organic produce year long, (m) is tall enough to allow user to grow the maximum amount of plants, but short enough to allow user to easily pour solution into the system, and (n) is lightweight and easily movable.