PLANT STIMULATOR

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of and apparatus for giving a plant an appearance of animation. Sensing means sense a specific external stimulation, which may comprise noise level, light intensity, air temperature, temperature of the growing medium for a plant, air humidity, humidity of the growing medium for the plant, or combinations of such stimulations. A control means, sensitive to the sensed stimulation attaining a predetermined level, actuates to effect an appearance of response by the plant and which may comprise activation of a sound broadcasting arrangement, movement of the plant foliage, movement of the support for the plant, a valve system or combination of said actuations. In a preferred embodiment a sound detector (14) senses noise levels in the vicinity of a plant pot (11) and, on sensing a noise level above a predetermined value, actuates a mechanical linkage (17, 18, 19 and 24, 25, 26 and 27) to effect vibration of the plant foliage.

Description: "PLANT STIMULATOR" This invention relates to plants and, more specifically, to a method of and apparatus for animating plants or of giving to a plant an appearance of response to an external stimulation. T_ιilst many plants, particularly potted house plants, have a relatively pleasing appearance and many persons advocate talking to plants, plants remain inanimate and the only responses to external stimulation known todate is when the foliage of the plant, or some part of the foliage of the plant,is moved due to incidental air currents or, as has been claimed, minute response has been detected to electrical stimulation. An object of the present invention is to provide a method of, and apparatus for, animating a plant or giving to a plant an appearance of animation in response to an external stimulation. - - According to the present invention there is provided a method for giving a plant an appearance of animation, characterized by the steps of sensing a specific external stimulation, identifying a predetermining level of said external stimulation, and using said recognized predetermined level of external stimulation to actuate a control means to effect an appearance of response by the plant. Preferably the method is characterized by the steps of sensing sound, light intensity, air temperature, temperature of the growing medium for the plant, air humidity and/or humidity of the growing medium for the plant and arranging the, or each, sensed external stimulation above a predetermined level specific thereto to effect an appearance of response by the plant individual to the, or each, sensed stimulation. In other words, when the method includes the sensing of two or more st__π_ulations, said method includes the steps of causing the plant to respond differently to the different sensed stimulations. In one embodiment the method according to the invention is characterized by the steps of arranging the control means to actuate a sound broadcasting arrangement in response to a predetermined level of a specific sensed stimulation. In a further embodiment the method is characterized by the steps of arranging the control means to effect movement of the plant and its support means in response to a predetermined level of a specific stimulation. The apparatus also envisages apparatus, for performing the method and according to this aspect of the invention there is provided sensing means for sensing a specific external stimulation and control means, responsive to a predetermined level of the sensed specific external stimulation and arranged to effect an appearance of response to said predetermined level of sensed specific external stimulation. Preferably said apparatus includes a plurality of sensors, each arranged to sense a specific external stimulation individual thereto and said control means is arranged to effect a response individual to each sensed specific external st__mulation reaching its sensed predetermined level. Preferably the apparatus is characterized in that the sensing means is arranged to sense noise level, light intensity, air temperature, growing medium temperature, air humidity, growing medium humidity or combinations of said external stimulations. Preferably said apparatus is characterized in that said control means, in responding to a sensed predetermined level of an external stimulation, is arranged to actuate a broadcasting system, movement of plant foliage, movement of a pot containing the growing medium for a plant, movement of the pot containing the growing medium for said pot or a valve system or combination of said responses. The invention will now be described further by way of example by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a side view of one plant stimulation arrangement in accordance with the present arrangemen . Fig. 2 shows a cross section on the plane II II in Fig 1. Fig. 3 shows a side view of a second embodiment in accordance with the invention. - if - Fig. 4 shows a cross section on the line III III in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows a side view of a third embodiment in accordance with the invention and Fig. 6 shows a cross section through a fourth embodiment in accordance with the invention. In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1 a plant pot 11 contains growing medium for a plant, four stems of which PI, P2, P3 and P4 are illustrated. The plant pot 11 rests on a stand 12 which includes in its cylindrical wall a perforated region 13 which provides the air vibration intake to a sound detector device 14 within the stand 12. Within stand 12 the sound detector 14 actuates an ON/ OFF switch 15, which is "OFF" when no sound is detected by the detector 14 and is actuated to "ON" when the device 14 detects a predetermined level of noise in the vicinity of the stand 12. The switch 15 is within a circuit including a battery 16 and an electric motor 17, the output shaft of which has a cam 18 secured thereon. A lever 19 is pivotally supported adjacent its mid regions by a pivot pin 20 supported by uprights 21 and 22 from the base of stand 12, and has one end region 19a extending through a slot 12a_ in the cylindrical wall of stand 12 and its other end region 19b_ resting on the cam 18 and urged into contact with cam 18 by a coil tension spring 22. The end regions 19a_ of lever 19 include an aperture 23 externally of the stand 12 and four flexible elements 24, 25, 26 and 27 extend from said end region 19a over a low friction guide 28 and are attached to the stems PI, P2, P3 and P4 respectively. At their lower regions the flexible elements 24, 25, 26 and 27 may pass through the aperture 23 in end regions 19a and be knotted together beneath lever 19 so as to be anchored therewith and, at their upper end, the said flexible elements 24, 25, 26 and 27 may be tied to their respective stems PI, P2, P3 and P4 at a location where reciprocation of said flexible elements 24, 25, 26 and 27 will cause the stems Pi, P2, P3 and P4 to vibrate without damage to the plant. The elements 24, 25, 26 and 27 may conveniently comprise fine flexible wires, string, or the like flexible materials and, most preferably said elements 24, 25, 26 and 27 are coloured green so as to blend into the foliage of the plant. In operation of the device, and upon detection of a predetermined level of noise in the vicinity of the plant by the noise detector 14, the on-off switch 15 is actuated to open the circuit including battery 16 and motor 17 to cause motor 17 to rotate. Rotation of motor 17, with mutual rotation of cam 18, causes the lever 19 to be pivoted about its pivot pin 20 so that the end region 19a. is vertically vibrated and such vibrations are transmitted to the flexible elements 24, 25, 26 and 27 to cause the foliage of the plant to vibrate. Thus, if a person now speaks to the plant the speech will be detected by the noise sensor 14 and the plant will wave its foliage in response to the noise stimulation. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3 a plant pot 31 containing growing medium for a plant (not shown) rests on three pins 32, 33 and 34 presented by a stand 32. As will be seen from Fig. 4 the pins 32, 33 and 34, supported in bearings provided by the roof (not shown) of stand 32, rest on angular cam surface 35a of a rotatable cam 35. The cam 35 is rotatable about a central pivot 36 presented by the base 32 and cam 35 is rotated by a rachet wheel 37, secured to the underside of cam 35, and stepped by a rachet head 38 on the actuating member of a solenoid 39. A sound detector 40, aligned with a grid 41 in the cylindrical wall of the base 32, actuates an "on" "off" switch 41 to its "on" condition when device 40 detects sound vibrations above a predetermined level in the vicinity of base 32 and, in its "on" condition, the switch 41 completes a circuit including a battery 42 and the windings of solenoid 39. The height of the cam 35_a from the base 35 of the cam is irregular and thus, on detection of sound above the predetermined level by detector 40, to causes "on" "off" switch 41 to actuate and thereby to cause solenoid 39 to actuate to rotate rachet wheel 37 and the cam 35 secured thereto, the pins 32, 33 and 34 are raised or lowered, dependent upon the cam surface 35a_, and the support afforded by pins 32, 33 and 34 cause the plant-pot 31 to be irregularly tilted, so that the foliage of the plant shakes, giving the impression of a slow wave. It will be appreciated that whilst the solenoid 39 may operate only once to a single syllable command said solenoid 39 can operate in response to successive identifiable syllables above the predetermined level for detection without a plurality of stepping movements whereby a continuous waving of the plant foliage can be obtained by any person addressing sentences to the plant. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5 a plant pot 51 rests on a stand 52 and the stand 52 includes freely rotatable wheels 53, 54 (which may be mounted on common axels with other wheels spaced along said axels and which wheels 54 and 55 protrude slightly below the plane of the lower regions of the stand 52 to engage the supporting surface for the device. The stand 52 also includes a wheel 56, with a soft peripheral material thereon which is in compression with the supporting surface at all times when the wheels 54 and 55 are in contact with said surface. The wheel 56 is arranged for drive in either direction by an electric motor (not shown) in response to an actuating signal from a comparator device (also not shown). The plant pot includes, in the direction of displacement of the plant pot, determined by the planes of the wheels 54, 55 and 56, and stand 52 light sensors 57 and 58 the outputs for which are fed to a control means 59 including a comparator device arranged to compare the signals from the light sensors 57 and 58. With this arrangement the base 52 is supported by a flat surface, the wheels 54 and 55 resting on said surface and the wheel 56 in pressure contact with said surface, and the arrangement will remain static whilst the light sensed by detectors 57 and 58 remains balanced. However, in the event that the light intensity detected by devices 57 and 58 should become unbalanced the comparator sends an actuating signal to the drive motor for wheel 56 to cause said wheel to rotate, whereupon the plant pot and its stand 52 will be driven to the left or right, as viewed in Fig. 5, in the direction of the highest light intensity detected by detectors 57 and 58 until the light intensity detected by detectors 57 and 58 again becomes balanced. Thus, in the course of a day, if one side of the plant pot 51 should become shaded, the plant pot with its stand 52 and the plant (not shown ) therein will automatically displace to keep the plant in maximum light conditions. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6 the plant pot 61, with growing medium therein and a plant growing from the growing medium (not shown) rests in a shallow bowl 62 and bowl 62 presents a central upstanding perforated tube 63 with a moisture detecting device 64 supported on its upper end. The detector 64 and tube 63 are entered into the plant pot 61 through the normal drainage hole 61a in the base of the plant pot. The bowl 62 rests on a base 65 which includes a detector 66, sensitive to the moisture level detected by device 64 and adapted to actuate a valve 67 when the moisture level detected falls below a pre-determined level. The input to the valve 67 is via a duct 68 from a see-through water tank 69 hooked onto the plant pot 61 by a hook 70 and the output from the valve 67 connects via a duct 71, with the perforated tube 63. With this embodiment, and on the moisture sensor 64 detecting a moisture level below the pre-determined level, the device 66 is actuated to open valve 67 whereupon water is flows from the reservoir 69 through the duct 68, through the valve 67 and duct 71 to the bore of perforated tube 63 from which the water escapes into the surrounding growing medium. When the moisture level detected by device 64 rises above the pre¬ determined level for operation of device 66, said device 66 is deactivated whereupon the valve 67 is closed. With this arrangement the plant is self watering and, with each watering operation, the level of water in the see-through reservoir 69 falls, thus giving a visual display of the level of water in the reservoir 69. In all the above embodiments some detectable parameter is sensed and, when sensed, is caused to effect some visual response attributable to the plant. In other embodiments the parameter, or parameters, when sensed may may cause some other apparent response from the plant and, by way of example, in the Fig 1 embodiment the switch 15 when actuated to its "ON" position may activate a cassette player to broadcast a pre¬ recorded message to persons in the vicinity of the plant.

Claims: {_I_AI__3 1. A method for giving a plant an appearance of animation, characterized by the steps of sensing a specific external stimulation, identifying a pre-determining level of said external stimulation, and using said recognized pre¬ determined level of external stijπulation to actuate a control means to effect an appearance of response by the plant. 2. A method according to claim 1 characterized by the steps of sensing sound, light intensity, air temperature, temperature of the growing medium for the plant, air humidity and/or humidity of the growing medium for the plant and arranging the, or each, sensed external stimulation above a predetermined level specific thereto to effect an appearance of response by the plane individual to the, or each, sensed stimulation. 3. A method according to claims 1 or 2 characterized by the steps of arranging the control means to actuate a sound broadcasting arrangement in response to a pre-determined level of a specific sensed st__rmιla ion. 4. A method according to claims 1, 2 or 3 characterized by the steps of arranging the control means to effect movement of the plant foliage in response to the identification of a pre-determined level of a specific sensed stimulation. 5. A method according to claims 1, 2, 3, or 4 characterized by the steps of arranging the control means to effect movement of the plant and its support means in response to a pre-determined level of a specific sensed stimulation. 6. Apparatus, for carrying out the mechod set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterised by sensing means for sensing a specific external stimulation and a control means, responsive to a pre-determined level of the sensed specific external stimulation and arranged to effect an appearance of response to said pre-determined level of sensed specific external stimulation. 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 characterized in that said apparatus includes a plurality of sensors, each arranged to sense a specific external st__τιulation individual thereto and said control means is arranged to effect a response individual to each sensed specific external stimulation reaching its sensed pre-determined level. 8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or 7 characterized in that the sensing means is arranged to sense noise level, light intensity, air temperature, growing medium temperature, air humidity, growing medium humidity or combinations of said external stimulations. 9. Apparatus according to claim 6, 7, or 8 characterized in that said control means, in responding to a sensed predetermined level of an external stimulation, is arranged to actuate a broadcasting system, movement of plant foliage, movement of a pot containing the growing medium for a plant, movement of the pot containing the growing medium for said pot or a valve system or combination of said responses.

Inventors: HEARNE KEITH MELVYN TREVOR, HEARNE, KEITH, MELVYN, TREVOR
Applicants: HEARNE KEITH MELVYN TREVOR, HEARNE, KEITH, MELVYN, TREVOR
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A01G9
IPC codes: A01G9