Abstract:
The improved hydroponic device is an invention that because of its unique design, is readily constructed by mostly standard off the shelf components. The invention is self contained, self cleaning, adjusts to various grow methods, is capable of pumpingly evacuating it&#39;s liquid contents, employs a pressure equalizing liquid harness and unique quick insert and quick release plant support baskets, and is modularly expandable.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to soiless or reduced soil plant growth devices commonly known as hydroponic devices. The invention has particular application for use in growing plants, especially at accelerated rates, in limited space. 
     It is well known that hydroponic devices have existed for some time, are widely commercially available, and are an effective means to provide predetermined nutrient delivery amounts and rates of feed to cause accelerated plant growth in limited spaces. The following are some examples of prior art hydroponic devices: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,394,647; 5,287,652; 4,926,585; 4,310,990; 4,279,101; and 4,211,034. It is also well known that many of these devices have been awkward to use, dedicated to only one type of growth method, incapable of pumpingly evacuating their liquid contents thus limiting use location, void of pressure equalizing plumbing thus requiring greater pump pressure for a given system size, of limited modularization or not comprised of readily available off the shelf components, and lacking the ability to self clean. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,647 discloses a self contained hydroponic device, yet such device is shown and described to have plumbing lines or tubes outside of the main body of the device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an improved modular self contained hydroponic device which in general comprises readily available off the shelf tubing sections that are sealingly attached together to define a liquid tight container. One portion of the container includes a plurality of openings which receive plant support baskets. The container includes a plumbing system which provides for liquid nutrient delivery to the plant support baskets. 
     It shall be noted that it is an object of the present invention to provide a hydroponic device which is self contained within a structure comprised of an assembly of standard tubing sections. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a hydroponic device which is readily changeable to adapt to different grow methods such as changing from an ebb and flow grow method to a drip grow method. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a hydroponic device which is capable of pressurizingly discharging it&#39;s liquid contents. For instance, when a standard hose is mounted to the exit port of the hydroponic device, the hydroponic device is capable of pumping its liquid contents to an elevation above the hydroponic device, thus increasing the number of usable locations of the hydroponic device. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a hydroponic device which provides pressure equalization plumbing thus reducing the amount of pump pressure required for a given hydroponic device. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a hydroponic device which provides quick assembly and quick release plant support baskets. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a hydroponic device which provides modular adjustment of plant growth capacity. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a hydroponic device which provides for recirculation of it&#39;s liquid contents thus reducing the need for manual mixing of the liquid contents of the hydroponic device. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a hydroponic device which provides for filtering of it&#39;s liquid contents and thus provides for self cleaning of the hydroponic device. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     The objects and many attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated and become readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the preferred embodiment of the improved hydroponic device. The pump, baffle bulkhead, solid bulkhead, and a portion of a plumbing line are shown in hidden lines. 
     FIG. 2 is a partially exploded isometric view of the preferred embodiment. One plant support basket is shown with basket brackets inserted, and the other basket is shown with basket brackets exploded from both tightened and untightened positions. 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the baffle bulkhead and the grow tube as shown in FIG.  2 . The two parts have been rearranged in their spatial relationship to facilitate a larger scale view. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the plant support baskets and basket brackets as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 5 is an section cut of the improved hydroponic device taken at the location and orientation noted in FIG.  1 . In addition to displaying the upper tee member, grow tube, baffle bulkhead, and nutrient supply tube as cut at the section noted, the figure also includes a plant support basket which is shown in hidden lines where the view of the basket is blocked by the view of the other members. Liquid passage openings and corresponding liquid levels are shown at three different adjustments of the baffle bulkhead. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing of the improved hydroponic device defining the liquid nutrient flow path of the device. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention in reviewing the drawings accompanying the specification, a feature list is provided below. It is noted that like features are like numbered throughout all of the figures. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 FEATURE TABLE 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Number 
                 Feature 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 10 
                 Hydroponic device in general 
               
               
                 20 
                 Lower tee member in general 
               
               
                 22 
                 Lower tee member first lower opening 
               
               
                 24 
                 Lower tee member second lower opening 
               
               
                 26 
                 Lower tee member upper opening 
               
               
                 30 
                 Connecting sleeve in general 
               
               
                 32 
                 Connecting sleeve lower opening 
               
               
                 34 
                 Connecting sleeve upper opening 
               
               
                 40 
                 Upper tee member in general 
               
               
                 42 
                 Upper tee member lower opening 
               
               
                 44 
                 Upper tee member upper opening 
               
               
                 46 
                 Upper tee member central opening 
               
               
                 50 
                 Grow tube in general 
               
               
                 52 
                 Grow tube first opening 
               
               
                 54 
                 Grow tube second opening 
               
               
                 56 
                 Grow tube cut out in general 
               
               
                 57 
                 Grow tube cut out upper edge 
               
               
                 58 
                 Grow tube cut out lower edge 
               
               
                 60 
                 Elbow member in general 
               
               
                 62 
                 Elbow member lower opening 
               
               
                 64 
                 Elbow member upper opening 
               
               
                 70 
                 Support sleeve in general 
               
               
                 72 
                 Support sleeve lower opening 
               
               
                 74 
                 Support sleeve upper opening 
               
               
                 80 
                 End cap in general 
               
               
                 90 
                 Pump in general 
               
               
                 100 
                 Combination fill/overboard valve in general 
               
               
                 102 
                 Nutrient delivery valve in general 
               
               
                 104 
                 Filtering/recirculation valve in general 
               
               
                 110 
                 Combination fill/overboard evacuation port in general 
               
               
                 120 
                 Baffle bulkhead in general 
               
               
                 122 
                 Baffle opening for nutrient supply tube 
               
               
                 124 
                 Baffle liquid passage opening 
               
               
                 126 
                 Baffle liquid passage opening in first alternate 
               
               
                   
                 position 
               
               
                 128 
                 Baffle liquid passage opening in second 
               
               
                   
                 alternate position 
               
               
                 130 
                 A portion of a nutrient supply tube in general 
               
               
                 140 
                 Solid bulkhead in general 
               
               
                 150 
                 Plant support basket in general 
               
               
                 152 
                 Typical basket opening in general 
               
               
                 160 
                 Basket bracket in general 
               
               
                 162 
                 Typical basket bracket prong in general 
               
               
                 164 
                 Basket bracket exploded in untightened position 
               
               
                 166 
                 Basket bracket exploded in tightened position 
               
               
                 168 
                 Basket bracket engaged in tightened position 
               
               
                 170 
                 Liquid level - baffle in nominal position 
               
               
                 172 
                 Liquid level - baffle in first alternate position 
               
               
                 174 
                 Liquid level - baffle in second alternate position 
               
               
                 176 
                 Liquid passage line in general 
               
               
                 178 
                 Liquid flow direction arrow in general 
               
               
                 180 
                 Multiple grow tube feeding pressure equalizing 
               
               
                   
                 liquid harness in general 
               
               
                 182 
                 Individual plant site feeding pressure equalizing 
               
               
                   
                 liquid harness in general 
               
               
                 184 
                 Plant site in general 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Referring now to the drawings, the invention is a hydroponic device  10  that comprises a lower tee  20 , a connecting sleeve  30 , an upper tee  40 , a grow tube  50 , an elbow  60 , a support sleeve  70 , end caps  80 , a pump  90 , a fill/overboard valve  100 , a nutrient delivery valve  102 , a filtering/recirculation valve  104 , a fill/overboard port  110 , a baffle bulkhead  120 , nutrient supply tubes  130 , a solid bulkhead  140 , a plant support bracket  150 , basket brackets  160 , and a plant site feeding pressure equalizing liquid harness  182 . End caps  80  are sealingly mounted within lower tee openings  22  and  24 . Valves  100 ,  102 , and  104  are fixed and rotatably mounted to lower tee  20 . Pump  90  is located within tee  20  and rests on an inner surface of tee  20 . Lower tee  20  and upper tee  40  are sealingly connected by joining connecting sleeve lower opening  32  within lower tee upper opening  26  and by joining connecting sleeve upper opening  34  within upper tee lower opening  42 . Fill/overboard port  110  is mounted to upper tee  40 . Baffle bulkhead  120  is attached in rotating relationship to nutrient supply tube portion  130  by insertion of tube  130  through baffle opening  122 . Bulkheads  120  are mounted within grow tube  50  by sealingly mounting bulkhead  140  into grow tube opening  54  and by rotatably mounting bulkhead  120  into grow tube opening  52 . Grow tube  50  connects upper tee  40  and elbow  60  by sealingly mounting grow tube opening  52  within upper tee central opening  46  and by maounting grow tube opening  54  within elbow upper opening  64 . Support sleeve  70  is fixedly mounted within elbow lower opening  62 . Two basket brackets  160  are snappingly engaged to basket  150  by inserting bracket prongs  162  through basket openings  152 . Baskets  150  are mounted to grow tube cut out  56  by snappingly engaging basket mounted brackets  160  below grow tube cut out upper edges  57  and subsequently rotating basket  150  approximately 90 degrees such that basket mounted brackets  160  come into tightened engagement with cut out lower edges  58 . The pump  90 , valves  100 ,  102 , and  104 , fill/overboard port  110 , and plant sites  184  are all connected as schematically displayed in FIG. 6 such that liquid is sealingly and pressurizable transmissible in the directions indicated in FIG.  6 . In a alternate embodiment, an end cap  80  is removably inserted into upper tee upper opening  44 . In yet another embodiment, additional plant growth capacity is obtained by connecting additional branches of the hydroponic device to the lower tee  20 . In such embodiment, an additional connecting sleeve  30  connects a first lower tee to a second lower tee. The second lower tee has substantially identical members connected to it as does the first lower tee, however the second lower tee is also connected to the same pump that powers the entire hydroponic device. 
     In practice, a liquid nutrient solution is added to the hydroponic device through upper tee upper opening  44  or the nutrient alone is added through upper tee upper opening  44  and water is added through fill/overboard port  110 . When the valves  100 ,  102 , and  104  are set to the mix/filter mode, the nutrient solution is mixed and cleaned. When the valves  100 ,  102 , and  104  are set to the feed mode, the nutrient solution is pumped at predetermined intervals to plant support baskets  150 . The liquid nutrient solution then runs through any plant within plant support baskets  150  and begins to fill grow tube  50 . Upon the liquid nutrient solution reaching the liquid passage port  124 , the liquid nutrient solution passes into upper tee  40 , through connecting sleeve  30 , and back into lower tee  20 . When the valves  100 ,  102 , and  104  are set to the overboard evacuation mode, the nutrient solution is pumped to the fill/overboard evacuation port, and the hydroponic device is emptied. As can be understood from reference to FIG. 5, when baffle bulkhead  120  is rotatably adjusted to a nominal position, liquid passage opening  124  is near the top of grow tube  50  and the liquid level in grow tube  50  is nearly full as shown by liquid level  170 . When baffle bulkhead  120  is rotatably adjusted to a first alternate position, the liquid passage opening is at a position as noted by  126 , and the liquid level in grow tube  50  is substantially half full as shown by liquid level  172 . When baffle bulkhead  120  is rotatably adjusted to a second alternate position, the liquid passage opening is at a position as noted by  128 , and the liquid level in grow tube  50  is nearly empty as shown by liquid level  174 . It will also be understood that various quantities of liquid passages combined with a baffle bulkhead adjusted to various positions will result in virtually any desired liquid level. Accordingly, the improved hydroponic device is especially suited for adapting to various grow method such as changing from a drip grow method to an ebb and flow grow method. Because pressure equalizing liquid harnesses  180  and  182  employ redundant or parallel liquid passage lines  176 , pressure in lines  176 , which feed liquid to grow tubes  50  and plant support sites  150  respectively, is equalized. In comparison to such pressure equalization, devices which merely employ singular or series liquid passage lines require a greater increase in pressure commensurate to each additional grow tube or plant support site or the like which is fed with liquid. This equalization in pressure avoids the pressure differential that is otherwise encountered in series plumbed type hydroponic devices. The equalization in pressure avoids the greater additional pressure requirement per additional tube or site or the like, and thus reduces the overall pressure required by hydroponic device  10  compared to what the pressure would otherwise be if hydroponic device  10  merely employed singular or series liquid passage lines. Such reduction in required pressure increases the overall efficiency of the hydroponic device  10  by reducing the required strength of the various lines, fittings, and members that make up device  10 , by reducing the output required by pump  90 , and by reducing the energy consumption of pump  90 . 
     It will be noted that the majority of the parts required to construct the hydroponic device are readily available off the shelf parts. In the preferred embodiment, the tees, sleeves, elbow, and end caps are all six inch nominal diameter PVC pipe sections and the basket brackets are commonly available grommets. 
     While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept. The subject invention is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.