Patent Abstract:
A method and device for aquatic greening in a space of a structure including a storage tank for a cultivating fluid, pump and pipes for circulating the cultivating fluid in a prescribed concentration and flow to a cultivating device, a tank for collecting the cultivating fluid drained from the cultivating device wherein the drained cultivating fluid may be filtered and neutralized or diluted. The cultivating fluid may be a fertilizer fluid or water or a mixture thereof. Electric power for operation may be provided by a solar energy source. The operation of the method and device may be controlled by a computer located in the structure or an adjacent structure. Air may be blown partially or thoroughly into the cultivating fluid. A mesh or net or wires, which may form a trellis and which may be attached to the structure, is adjacent the cultivating device and assist in the growth of the aquatic greening.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a device and method for aquatic greening or gardening in a restricted space of a dwelling or building or structure, and particularly an improved greening or gardening device and method used on a part or parts of the exterior of the dwelling or building or structure, such as a roof or passage. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Recently house gardening, such as in a vinyl house, is now at the zenith of its popularity and various farm products are shipped to market regardless of the season. Alternately, a greening plan of a space of a dwelling or building or structure, especially a roof space, is on its way to practicality and various devices and methods, which use a fibrous foamed mat or a light artificial soil or stone, have been proposed for the greening. Further, greening concrete, which is porous and can retain moisture therein, has also been proposed to cultivate the plants on a wall surface or an inclined surface or a structure, by seeding or transplantation of the plants on these surfaces. 
     However, the artificial soil or the fibrous foamed mat for the greening of the structure seems to be easily blown away or carried away by a storm or a strong rain, and may contaminate a dwelling&#39;s environment. The greening concrete also seems to be higher in price than the original one, and has fault in its strength due to its porous character. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A device for hydroponics or aquatic greening in a restricted space of a dwelling or building comprises at least an aquatic rearing and cultivating device, such as an aquatic planter or a ditch which is filled suitably with culture fluid or water, and at least an aquatic float provided with plural planting beds. 
     A known aquatic planter may be used for soil planting, however, it is preferable to use a special one which is suitably designed to be in conformity with a restricted space in a dwelling or building, such as a passage of an apartment house, a porch or roof of a private house, etc., or a long ditch or conduit along with a passage or a fence of a roof of a dwelling or building, which is specially designed for an aquatic planting and permanently settled thereon. 
     A greening nursery bed of the present invention may be an aquatic float disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,584, provided with or without a supplemental large float in which the former are set into the holes on the later and floated in or supported on the aquatic planter. 
     However, preferably a cover plate is supported on inside projections of the planter, the ditch or conduit and is provided with many holes or slits to insert the seed cages or beds, just as described above. 
     The aquatic planter may also be provided with a set of vertical, planar or inclined trellis or lattice means or supports to lead growth of the plants, such as a morning-glory, a cucumber, a watermelon, etc., which is disposed on or with a part of a dwelling or building, such a fence on the roof or the passage described hereinbefore, by ropes or binders. 
     The culture fluid or water in the aquatic planter is supplied from a storage tank, and circulated or transferred periodically to or from the other planter, with or without blowing into the air. 
     Rain water or town water may be used for the culture fluid, which may be prepared with a fertilizer for aquatic planting in the storage tank, prior to periodical circulation. 
     The blowing into the air for the aquatic planter may be performed by an air pump equipped on the planter and mainly driven with a solar electric means even if commercial electric power is practical. 
     The aquatic planter or the aquatic greening system may be controlled by a computer to cultivate the flowers, vegetables, etc., in a restricted space or a dwelling or building here and there, for labor saving, and may use partially or mainly the solar energy and rain water for material saving. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an aquatic greening device and method for cultivation of plants in a restricted space of a dwelling or building. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an aquatic greening device and method for cultivation of plants in a restricted space of a dwelling or building which uses natural energy and material. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an aquatic greening device and method for cultivation of plants in a restricted spaced of a dwelling or building, here and there, which is controlled automatically with a computer. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an aquatic greening device and method for cultivation of plants in a restricted spaced of a dwelling or building, which can control heat in the dwelling or building, and absorbs carbonic acid gas in the air, due to the plants cultivated thereon. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a dwelling or building having at least an aquatic plant garden, etc., thereon, for private use. 
     It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a dwelling or building having at least an aquatic green curtain or screen with the plants cultivated thereon for a fence or net. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a dwelling or building having at least an aquatic farm block on its roof provided with a set of vertical planar trellis or lattice means for the plants. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a dwelling or building having at least an aquatic farm block on its roof provided with an inclined trellis or lattice means which is disposed against a fence or a net on the roof 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dwelling or building having arranged permanently at least an aquatic farm block and/or aquatic flower garden on its roof 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional front view for an aquatic greening device of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of FIG. 1, along line A—A; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional front view for another aquatic greening device of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional front view for another aquatic greening device of the present invention showing it arranged with a fence of a roof or passage for a dwelling or building through a vertical trellis or lattice means for the plants; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional front view, as in FIG. 4, except for supporters of the vertical trellis or lattice means for the plants; 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic flowsheet of an aquatic greening controlled by a computer; 
     FIG. 8 is a partial sectional front view of a further aquatic greening device in a type of a ditch, provided with a vertical trellis or lattice net for the plants; 
     FIG. 9 is a plan view of FIG. 8 omitting the vertical trellis or lattice net for the plants; 
     FIG. 10 is a sectional front view through a line X—X in FIG. 9, and shows a meshed rectangular seed bed or plant nursery used in the present aquatic greening; 
     FIG. 11 is the same view as in FIG.  10  and shows a foamed polyurethane seed bed; 
     FIG. 12 is a sectional side view of FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 13 is a partial plan view of still another aquatic greening device of the present invention and shows a foamed polyurethane seed bed provided with two series of holes or crevices for seeding; 
     FIG. 14 is a partial sectional front view of FIG. 13 cut through a line XIV—XIV; 
     FIG. 15 is a partial plan view of an aquatic greening device of the present invention combined with a planar trellis or lattice means for the plants thereon; 
     FIG. 16 is a front view of FIG. 15; 
     FIG. 17 is a side view of FIG. 15; 
     FIG. 18 is a front view of an aquatic greening device shown in FIG. 15 combined with a vertical rope trellis or lattice means for the plants; and 
     FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a building having arranged permanently thereon aquatic greening devices on its roof. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2, an aquatic greening or gardening device G of the present invention is in a restricted space of a dwelling or building. The device G comprises fundamentally an aquatic planter  1  for a plant P′ filled with culture fluid W′ or water W to a suitable level, a supplemental float or cover  3  provided with holes  5  on which seed beds  4  is inserted, respectively, a circulation means for the culture fluid W′ or water W, including pipes  2  and a suction or circulation pump P, a storage tank T for the culture fluid W′ or the water W, a solar electric system SB and an air pump  6  which blows the air into the culture fluid W′ or the water W through an air discharge means  7 . 
     In such an aquatic greening device, the culture fluid may be prepared by mixing in the storage tank T water, especially rain water W from a storage tank (not shown) and fertilizer H for hydroponics farming or gardening, and circulated into the greening device through the pump P. The device may also be set along a fence t in a passage, a veranda, or a roof of a dwelling or building to be used for leading a vertical growth of the plants on the greening device, as shown in FIG.  4  and described hereunder. 
     The culture fluid W′ or water W in the planter  1  may be blown in the air by the air pump  6  driven periodically with power from a solar battery B to activate all of the plants on the culture beds  4  by oxygen in the bubbles through holes  8  of a buffer plate  9 . 
     The embodiment in FIG. 3 shows connected aquatic greening devices G 1 , G 2 , but lacks the blowing means of FIG.  1 . However, the greening devices G 1 , G 2  have a reversible water pump  35  on a connecting base plate BP between a flange of the devices G 1 , G 2  to replace periodically the culture fluid W′ from the devices G 2  to G 1  or from G 1  to G 2 , and supply oxygen to the plants P on the seed beds  34  during a fixed time, from their roots  36  exposed in the air in either of the greening devices G 1 , G 2 , in a known manner. In this embodiment, the reversible water pump  35  is controlled automatically with a timer  40  and a current exchange-over switch  41  and the direction of its rotation is periodically changed over with the above control means during a fixed time to replace the culture fluid W′ into the other greening device G 1  or G 2  through output and input holes  42 ,  43  of the pump  35 . Accordingly, the roots  36  under a supplemental float or cover  33  in either greening device G 1  or G 2  is exposed to the air, due to a space  38  underneath the float  33  supported on the inclined inside walls of the devices G 1  or G 2 , when the water level is significantly decreased. 
     The aquatic greening devices G 1 , G 2  may also be arranged adjacent the fence or net of the passage, the porch or the roof of the dwelling or building, as mentioned before. 
     FIGS. 4 to  6  show aquatic greening devices G 3 , G 4 , respectively, installed adjacent fence t of the dwelling or building and combined with legs  14  of the later by ropes or binders  13  through supports  11 ,  12  of a vertical trellis or lattice M for plants P. The supports  11 ,  12  in FIG. 4 are on a flange  10  and the vertical trellis or lattice net M is stretched between supports  11 ,  12  by horizontal ropes  15 . In FIG. 6 the supports  11 ,  12  of the net M are joined directly with the legs  14  of the fence t, because the device G 4  does not have a flange and stretched between the supports  11 ,  12 , as is in the same manner of FIG.  4 . 
     The stretched vertical trellis or lattice M lead, respectively, the plants especially vine plants such as a morning glory, in all directions to grow on it, and forms a green curtain beside the fence t to shut out sunlight or public notice from the dwelling or building, and to prevent a fall of things. 
     FIG. 7 shows schematically an aquatic greening device G 5  which uses natural energy and rain water, in or on the restricted space of the dwelling or building, such as a roof, passage, veranda, etc. The device G 5  comprises an aquatic planter  71  or an aquatic long ditch  71 B connected with a water tank T 2  through a culture fluid tank T and a filter F provided with a circulation pipe  78  connected with the planter  71  or the ditch  71 B through a pipe  77 . 
     The aquatic greening device G 5  is also provided with a solar electric generating set E comprising a solar panel SP and a battery B to supply partially an electric power for the system, and may be controlled automatically by a computer C, together with the other systems on the same or other dwelling or building, according to well known prior art. 
     The aquatic planter  71  or the aquatic long ditch  71 B may be plural planters  1  connected with the others mutually through pipes  2 , shown in FIGS. 1,  3 ,  4 , or  6 , and be set detachably with a part of the dwelling or building such as a fence t in the roof or veranda. However, it is preferable that the long aquatic ditch or conduit is settled permanently on the restricted space of the dwelling or building, such as the roof, without hindrance of the function for the other equipment on it, when the dwelling or building is constructed. 
     The long ditch or conduit  71 B for the aquatic planter  71  may be provided with plural seed beds, such as the aquatic floats, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,584, and the supplemental floats or cover  3  shown in FIGS. 1,  4  or  6 , but it may be preferable to provide a cover plate  83  supported on its upper-most inside and the later provided with holes and/or slits  84 ,  85 , in which circular or square seed beds  86 ,  87  are set thereon, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 described hereinafter. 
     The ditch  71 B also juxtaposes a trellis or lattice M set with poles or the fence equipped in a restricted space of the dwelling or building etc., described hereinbefore, for leading vertical growth of the plants P′ in the seed beds  86 ,  87 . 
     The storage tank T for the culture fluid is connected with the ditch  71 B through a pipe  73  and a supply pump P 1 , and with the water storage tank T 2  through a pipe  74  and a pump P 2 . The tank T may supply also the culture fluid into another parallel aquatic greening means (not shown) through a pipe  82  with a pump P 6 , while it prepares mainly a culture solution by adding the water supplied from the storage tank T 2  and a water soluble fertilizer for hydroponics, such as “Hylizer” described hereunder, if it is necessary to use the culture fertilizer solution but not the water. 
     The culture fluid generally is circulated repeatedly from the tank T′ to the ditch  71 B through a pipe  73  by the supply pump P 1  and pipes  76 ,  77 ,  78  by a pump P 4 , without blowing into the air as shown in FIG.  1 . The fluid may also be circulated into the ditch  71 B, after filtering in a filter F through the pipes  72 ,  77 ,  78  by a pump P 5 , when it is soiled with dust, such as cut roots, sediments, etc., and to which may be added the fresh culture fluid from the storage tank T by means of the pump P 1  through the pipe  73 , if the fluid has been decreased. The culture fluid is finally drained from a pipe  79  after it is neutralized or diluted in a neutralizing tank  81 , when the farm products have been harvested or its agricultural effects have been lost. 
     In operation of the present aquatic greening, firstly the rain water from an underground storage tank (not shown) is charged into the water tank T 2  through the pipe  75  by the pump P 3  and thereafter to the culture fluid tank T through the pipe  74  by the pump P 2 . If the plants to be cultivated on the ditch  71 B require the use of the aquatic fertilizer solution, the aquatic fertilizer H is added therefore to the water and discharged into the ditch  71 B by the pump P 1  through the pipe  73 , after the solution is arranged in a suitable concentration. However, if the water can be used as the culture fluid, it may be charged directly into the ditch  71 B. 
     The seeds or young plants thereafter are sowed or transplanted on the rectangular or round seed beds or cage  86 ,  87  supported on the cover  83  of the ditch  71 B described hereafter. The plants P′ grown on the seed cage  86 ,  87  are supplied continuously with the fertilizer solution to their roots and grow along the vertical trellis or lattice mesh or net M 7  stretched and joined between the poles forming the fence t on the roof or the passage of the dwelling or building. 
     The fertilizer solution may be continuously or periodically circulated from one side of the ditch  71 B through pipes  72 ,  76 ,  77 ,  78  by the pump P 4 . If the solution has been seriously contaminated with cut roots of the plants, etc., it may also be purified with the filter F and circulated to the other end of the ditch  71 B by the pump P 5 , through the pipes  73 ,  77 ,  78 , after releasing valves V 2 , V 2 ′. 
     The solution is also supplied additionally from the tank T 1 , if it has decreased to a selected fluid level in the ditch  71 B, through the pipe  73  and the pump P 1  after releasing a valve V 1 , and finally discharged from the ditch  71 B to a neutralizing tank  81 , after releasing a valve V 3  and drained from a pipe  79 , after the neutralization or dilution until a legal permissible limit for the discharge. 
     The plants P′, after cropping or blooming in the ditch  71 B, are taken off together with the vertical trellis or lattice net M 2  and a new aquatic greening is repeated with the same or different culture fluid from the storage tank T. 
     In the aquatic greening system, young leaf vegetables, such as a seed leaf of radish, a bean malt such as a sprout or a bulbous plant such as tulip or crocus, etc., may be cultivated with water, however, almost all of the plants have to use a culture solution for their growth. 
     An aquatic fertilizer used in the present greening system is “Hylizer” (trade name) and its concentration with respect to each cultivated plant is a follows: 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Cultivated Plants and Concentrations of “Hylizer” Solution 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 First Group: 
                 Cucumber, Melon, Watermelon 
                 10 liter of water 
               
               
                   
                 Pumpkin, Cabbage, Chinese 
                 per 26 gram of 
               
               
                   
                 Cabbage, Rose, Carnation 
                 Hylizer 
               
               
                 Second Group: 
                 Honewort, Celery, Parsley 
                 15 liters of water 
               
               
                   
                 Eggplant, Pimento, Tomato 
                 per 20 gram of 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Hylizer 
               
               
                 Third Group: 
                 Lettuce, Turnip, Spinach 
                 20 liters of water 
               
               
                   
                 Welsh, Chrysanthemum 
                 per 20 gram of 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Hylizer 
               
               
                 Fourth Group: 
                 Cleson, Strawberry 
                 30 liters of water 
               
               
                   
                   
                 per 20 grams of 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Hylizer 
               
               
                 Fifth Group: 
                 Pot Marigold, Horseradish, 
                 40 liters of water 
               
               
                   
                 Sweet Pea, Sun Plant, Orchid 
                 per 20 grams of 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Hylizer 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     FIGS. 8 and 9 shown another embodiment of a vertical trellis or lattice net or mesh M 8  set in a long ditch  71 B as shown in FIG.  7 . The trellis or lattice M 8  is stretched between two or more supports tl which are inserted in projections b on a bottom  82  of the ditch  71 B through a cover  83 . The cover  83  may also be supported on multiple pairs of supports  89   a  along both the longitudinal inside walls of the ditch  71 B and disposed thereon the circular or square seed beds  86 ,  87 , so that their undersurface are in contact with the culture fluid W 1  which is charged through the pipe  73 . 
     The little plants, such as the seed leaf of radish, lean malt, etc., which have a short term growth, may be planted on a mesh m of the seed bed  88 , as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. However, it the plant is a large one, such as liana, or a seedling for transplanting it is necessary to plant on or in a sponge material such as a foamed polyurethane  89 , as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, to hold their stems S firmly so that the plant may grow without falling down, by absorbing the culture fluid W 1  from the root R. 
     In the case of an aquatic planting of a vegetable such as lettuce, it is preferable to plant it in two ridges  90  or more of the foamed polyurethane bed  89  due to a large crop from the ditch  71 B. The polyurethane bed  89  is supported on crosspieces  93  furnished detachably on both inside walls of the ditch  71 B and sectioned on the crosspieces into blocks  92  for easy treatment of the crop. The ridges  90  are made by two rows of slits on a cover  83 , when the cover is set forcibly on lateral inside projections  94  of the ditch  71 B, and seeds or seedlings of lettuce are sown or transplanted in crevices  95  on the ridges  90 . 
     FIGS. 15 to  17  show a planar trellis or lattice means PL for the present invention, and comprises frames FR which are detachable from a ditch  71 B, as shown in FIG. 9, and each is fabricated from separated frame pieces  98 ,  99 ,  100 ,  101  and a net or mesh MP, which is provided on the planar frame piece by pins  104 . The frame pieces  98 ,  99 ,  100 ,  101  are connected with hinges  97  and the connected frame pieces are bent at right angles from the first end frame piece  98 , under a bottom  95   a  of the ditch  71 B to the second frame piece  99  along with vertically outer-surface  96  of the ditch  71 B, and thereafter a third piece  100  is bent further at the same angle. The last frame piece  101  is bent more downwardly at a right angle so that its end  102  is received into a recess on a frame holder  103  to form a fixed wisteria trellis beside the ditch  71 B, with three frame pieces  99 ,  100 ,  101 . The net MP is stretched on the multiple frames FR that is respectively arranged in parallel, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, and is fixed on the frames by pins  104 . The plant P′, such as melon, green pea, etc., is cultivated in a seeding cage or bed  87  on the ditch  71 B and grown on the trellis or lattice net MP to form a crop of fruit or melon FL in the restricted space of the dwelling or building, such as its roof or veranda. 
     In FIG. 18, a plant, for example, morning glory, is cultivated in a series of ditches or planters  71 B with vertical leading ropes R′ hanging down from lateral wire  107  between poles  106  on a roof or the dwelling or building, and makes a green curtain or blind for the dwellers. The culture fluid is, of course, circulated into the planters  71  or ditches  71 B along the direction of arrows f from the storage tank (not shown) described hereinbefore. 
     A building BL, as shown in FIG. 19, is covered with flowers P 1 , P 2  and vegetables or fruits P 3  grown in connected ditches  71 B arranged about an inside of the fence t on a wall  110  on its roof The ditch  71 B may be replaced by a series of connected planters, as shown in FIG. 18, and supplied with the culture fluid, such as water or a culture solution, from a pipe and drained to a storage tank or drainage (not shown) through a pipe  108 , after being treated suitably as mentioned before. The fence t and a latch means  112 , with ropes or wires  113  on a surface of the roof RS, are used for as set of an inclined trellis or lattice net  111  for the purpose of cultivating the flowers or vegetables and the crops may be sold or used for market or private use. 
     A pool  71 ′, controlled by valves V 9 , V 10 , may be installed on the roof surface RS and supply the water or culture solution from pipes  114  through the ditch  71 B to cultivate the flowers P 1 , P 2  on the aquatic floats, as mentioned before, and may include raising fish  109 , if the fruit is water. 
     The roof of the dwelling or building may be covered with a vinyl sheet or glass to protect the plants, and may be provided with a solar generator and a storage tank for rain water to be used partially as electric power or a natural resource for the present system. The aquatic greening or gardening on single or multiple dwellings or buildings may be controlled in the same building or another building by the computer as described hereinbefore. 
     Thus, the aquatic greening provides not only many fresh flowers and vegetables but also many fruits such as melon, strawberry, watermelon, etc., for the dwellers, commuters, managers and their families. The plants cultivated in the restricted spaces in the dwellings or the buildings also absorb carbonic acid gas from the atmosphere and release oxygen into the air to purify the town&#39;s environment, and control the temperature of the dwelling or building in which they are cultivated. 
     The plants, such as morning glory, cultivated with the vertical trellis or lattice net or ropes, along with the fence of the dwelling or building, may be a green curtain or fence to intercept the field of vision from outside, and to prevent a fall or a person or an object from the dwelling or building. 
     In the present invention there has been described and pointed out the fundamental novel features as applied to a preferred embodiment. It will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the aquatic greening system and device and method illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. The invention therefore is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8