Abstract:
An expandible aeroponic grow system capable of adding additional stay systems horizontally or vertically to the support structure of the base grow system so as to utilize a common pump, valves, filter, drain, supply tank and nutrient supply media. It utilizes a root spray that has an adjustable pattern to accommodate different placements of plants in the enclosed spray tray. It also uses a spray pattern designed to maximize the water and nutrient delivery to the plant&#39;s entire root as well as increasing the oxygen content of the nutrient media.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a extremely versatile and expandable system of growing vegetation with monomial contact between the vegetation and the support structure so as to allow for 100% of the plant to be entirely in air. More particularly, to a structural system of holding and nurturing the vegetation that is able to adapt to the different requirements of the cloning, vegetation and flowering stages of growth during long-term aeroponic cultivation. 
         [0002]    The growth of vegetation proceeds through different stages that have differing physical, light and nutrient requirements for the plants. Most growers have different bedding structures and environments into which the plants must constantly be switched. Since aeroponics rely on the nutrients being brought to the plant&#39;s root structure it is critical that all of the plant&#39;s root is adequately satiated and that there is a minimal amount of nutrient waste. Since much of a premium vegetation&#39;s cultivation is done indoors, space is at a premium. it would be an advantage to be able to stack or chain together multiple systems such that single components may be utilized for multiple systems. 
         [0003]    Henceforth, an expandible aeroponic grow system would fulfill a long felt need in the vegetation cultivation industry. This new invention utilizes and combines known and new technologies in a unique and novel configuration to overcome the aforementioned problems and accomplish this. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an energy and nutrient efficient aeroponic grow system that is capable of interconnected physical expansion, horizontally or vertically. 
         [0005]    It has many of the advantages mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new expandible aeroponic grow system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
         [0006]    In accordance with the invention, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved aeroponic grow system capable of horizontal or vertical expansion. 
         [0007]    It is another object of this invention to provide an improved expandible aeroponic grow system capable of meeting or exceeding current expectations for plant growth and dramatically reduced rates of plant loss due to pathogens and disease. 
         [0008]    It is a further object of this invention to provide an expandible aeroponic grow system capable of adaptation for maximum growth during the various phases of plant growth and to accommodate for changes in the number of plants being cultivated. 
         [0009]    It is still a further object of this invention to provide for an expandible aeroponic grow system that can maximize the amount of water and oxygen delivered to each plant&#39;s root regardless of the physical location of the plant within the plant&#39;s grow tray. 
         [0010]    It is yet a further object of this invention to provide an expandible aeroponic grow system that uses a minimum of water and nutrients and yet can achieve maximum plant growth in contracted grow periods. 
         [0011]    The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. However, both the organization and method of operation, together with further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like elements. Other objects, features and aspects of the present invention are discussed in greater detail below. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the expandible aeroponic grow system illustrating all of the elements; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the expandible aeroponic grow system coupled horizontally to a substantially similar expandible aeroponic grow system; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the expandible aeroponic grow system coupled to seven substantially similar expandible aeroponic grow systems both vertically and horizontally; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the aeroponics enclosure with the tray lid removed; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the aeroponics enclosure with the tray lid removed and the spray headers in a first configuration; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a top view of the aeroponics enclosure with the tray lid removed and the spray headers in a second configuration; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a side perspective view of the spray header; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a top perspective view of the cloning lid with cloning pucks installed therein; 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a top view of the cloning lid without cloning pucks installed; 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the vegetative or flowering lid; 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is a side view of the spray head; 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a cloning puck; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the alternate embodiment spray header. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
         [0026]    In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Although illustrated and described in the context of a single plant aeroponic grow system, a multiple plant aeroponic grow system and horizontal and vertical groupings of a aeroponic grow system, the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0027]    The basic principle of aeroponic growing for vegitation is to grow plants suspended in a semi-closed environment, timely spraying the plant&#39;s roots which dangle into an aeroponic enclosure with an atomized, nutrient-rich fluid media solution. Oxygen in the rhizosphere (root zone) is necessary for healthy plant growth. As aeroponics is conducted in air combined with micro-droplets of water, almost any plant can grow to maturity in air with a plentiful supply of oxygen, water and nutrients. The plant structure is held in place on the lid of the enclosure by a closed cell foam cloning puck that surrounds the lower stem and is inserted into an opening in the aeroponic chamber, The leaves and crown, (“canopy”), extend above to receive light. When the plant reaches a certain size it is removed from the cloning puck and put into a larger retention device from which its watering and sunning continues. In this way the root systems are free of constraints surrounding the stem and root systems. Physical contact is minimized so that it does not hinder natural growth and root expansion or access to pure water, air exchange and disease-free conditions. 
         [0028]    This aeroponic grow system has an adjustable watering system that flings the fluid media (water/nutrient mix) onto the parts of the dangling roots that are directly inline and then “splatts” the remainder against the aeroponic enclosure&#39;s side walls to break the mixture into smaller droplets which have a larger surface area and can absorb and deliver more oxygen to the plant&#39;s roots. The splatted fluid bounces off of the enclosure&#39;s side walls and reach the back areas of the vegetation&#39;s roots that are not in direct line with the flinging fluid media. The rotatability of the spray header along with the use of several angularly placed spinners to fling the fluid media allows the user to change and optimize the header&#39;s position for different placements of vegetation in the enclosure during different growth stages. 
         [0029]    When aeropinically growing vegetation in a nutrient rich mist environment without the use of soil or an aggregate medium, the rate of growth is largely dependant on the percentage of the root that is able to be sufficiently misted. The following system allows for the flexibility in the placement of the spray heads and spray patterns about the root structures. This is very important as the plant progresses from the cloning/propagation stage to the vegetative stage and lastly to the flowering stage. 
         [0030]    The system described above also allows for minimization of nutrient rich fluid media solution, optimized access to air, improved nutrient feeding, enhanced pathogen control, pest control and disease prevention so that the plants may grow healthier and quicker than plants grown in a medium. This aeroponic growing system is especially well adapted for vegetative cutting propagation or “cloning.” This reduced numerous labor steps associated with the various stages of plantings into soil as well eliminating transplant shock which is a setback to normal growth. 
         [0031]    Studies have been conducted on the effects of dissolved oxygen concentrations on the formation of adventitious roots looking at three separate zones within the root area. The ends of the roots were submerged in nutrient, the middle of the root section was misted with nutrient and the upper portion was above the mist. Results showed that dissolved O2 is essential to root formation, but went on to show that for the three O2 concentrations tested, the number of roots and root length were always greater in the central misted section than either the submersed section or the un-misted section. This system attempts to maximize the growth of healthy vegetation by optimization of this misting with finer droplets having more oxygen that reach 360 degrees of the plant root. 
         [0032]    Sterilization is simple in the event a pathogen does materialize. The fluid media may be pumped out of the vessel and replaced with a bleach or other disinfectant and then the system run as normal. After removal of the disinfectant and rinsing the aeroponic grow system is ready to go. 
         [0033]    Water droplet size is crucial for sustaining aeroponic growth. Too large a water droplet means less oxygen is available to the root system. Too fine a water droplet, such as those generated by an ultrasonic mister, produce excessive root hair without developing a lateral root system for sustained growth in an aeroponic system. Through the use of a throttling valve the pump&#39;s discharge pressure and volume may be adjusted to optimize the speed of the spinners and hence the water droplet size. This may be continually adjusted since as the plant grows there is more pressure required to force the mist into the denser root system. 
         [0034]    A problem with continual spraying of a nutrient rich solution is the degradation of the misting spray due to mineralization of mist heads. In this system the mist heads are threaded into the spray header and may be replaced or removed for cleaning. 
         [0035]    Since the nutrient rich fluid media must never get too warm, a non-submersible pump was utilized outside of the collection vessel to disperse its heat into the air rather than using a submersible pump. 
         [0036]    Looking at  FIG. 1  it can be seen that the expandible aeroponic grow system has an expandible tubular support structure  2  that holds an aeroponic enclosure  4  in an elevated horizontal configuration such that a drain tube  6  connected by a drain fitting  8  to the bottom of the aeroponic enclosure  4  may return nutrient rich fluid media to the collection vessel  10 . A suction tube (not visible) connects the collection vessel  10  to the pump  12  which discharges the fluid through an inline filter  14  and a valve  16  via discharge tube  18  to the distribution manifold  20  which lies generally centrally along the linear axis of the enclosure tray  22  ( FIG. 4 ). The distribution manifold  20  is made of several lengths of tubing/piping connected in series to three rotatable spray headers  24  ( FIG. 7 ) that extend upward from the manifold  20 . Each connection is facilitated by push connectors  26 . The last length of tubing/piping in the distribution manifold  20  is sealed at its end. This style of fabrication allows for any number of the standardized spray headers  24  to be located in any desired configuration to fit into any sized aeroponic enclosure. (In the simplest embodiment this would be just one spray header centralized in one bucket.) 
         [0037]    Looking at  FIGS. 7 and 11  it can be seen that the spray header  24  has a rotatable stub shaft  28  (rotatable by virtue of the rotatable, sealable design of the push fittings  26 ) that is connected to a central tee  30  from which extends four header tubes  32 . Each header tube&#39;s proximate end is affixed to the central tee  30  and their distal ends have a cap  34  with an orifice threaded therethrough to accept a matingly conformed spinnable spray nozzle  36 . The spray nozzle  36  has a pivot bracket  38  that houses a rotating spinner  40 . From the bottom of the pivot bracket  38  projects normally a threaded peg  42  for connection to the cap  34 . An optional support peg  46  may extend centrally from the spray header  24  to aid in the support of the tray lids. The overall configuration of the spray header  24  is that of a cross which can be rotated about the stub shaft  28 . When three spray headers  24  are connected to the distribution manifold they may be placed in +x+ or x+x configurations depending on the desired coverage pattern for whichever state of growth the vegetation is in. This allows the user to maximize both the spray pattern coverage and the oxygen content of the fluid media. 
         [0038]    It is to be noted that the support structure has uneven length legs on the different sides so that the fluid media drains to the lower end of the tray  22  where the drain fitting  8  is located. The support structure in a single enclosure embodiment has a light support bar  62  extending horizontally therefrom that is adapted to support a grow lamp  64 . 
         [0039]    In operation, when pressurized fluid medial reaches the cap  34  pressure forces the fluid up through the hollow threaded peg  42  into the spinner  40  which is rotatably housed in the into the pivot bracket  38  of the spray nozzle  36 . The spinner  40  has a curved path formed thereon from which the water escapes, thereby spinning the spinner  40  in circles propelling the fluid media in a circular pattern. 
         [0040]    As can be seen by looking at  FIGS. 5 and 6  the spray patterns  60  from the different positions of the spray header  24  will accommodate different placements of different sized plants and still mist all 360 degrees of the root. These different placements can be seen in the different opening in the cloning enclosure lid  42  ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ) and the vegetative lid  44  ( FIG. 10 ) can be seen. The design of the spray header allows for the collisions of the fluid media against the walls of the tray  22  and in fact uses this as a method to further break up the water droplets of the mist, allow them to pick up more oxygen and to deliver them to the areas of the root that are not in direct line with the spray nozzle  36 . 
         [0041]    It is to be noted that the aeroponic enclosure  4  is made of a tray  22  and a lid ( 42  or  44 ) which is opaque and watertight. The lids will seal to the tray about their perimeter and will have a plurality of plant orifices  48  to house cloning pucks  50  or root netting to support the vegetation. Access ports  49  may be provided to access components inside the enclosure  4  but when not in use will have sealable caps thereon. The cloning pucks  50  are compressible closed cell foam disks that have a waistline indentation  52  to secure them in the cloning lids  42  and a slit  54  to support and constrain the plant about its stalk ( FIG. 12 .) 
         [0042]    The in line filter  14  is after the pump  12  but before the valve  16 . To drain the system requires the valve  16  to be shut, the filter  14  unscrewed, a garden hose attached to the filter  14  and the pump  12  run. Additions of fluid media is done into the vessel  10 . Removal of the lids ( 42  or  44 ) allows the cleaning or disinfection of the system components while replacement of the spinners  40  or adjustment of the spray header  24  may be done via the access ports  49 . 
         [0043]    The support structure is made from matingly engagable tubing, caps, elbows, tees and crosses. The configuration thereof is designed to allow the coupling of additional systems thereto either horizontally, ( FIG. 2 ) vertically or both ( FIG. 3 .) In these configurations it has been shown that a single pump  12  can supply adequate fluid media pressure and volume to maintain multiple units although balancing valves will be needed at various points of the piping/tubing discharge runs  70 . 
         [0044]    The general support structure  2  has an upper rectangular configuration  74  of tubing joined at each of the corners by first cross fittings  76 . A second cross fitting  78  is affixed to one of the first cross fitting&#39;s bu a short section of tubing (not visible.) This second cross fitting holds a lower leg  80  and can also hold an upper leg  82  if double stacking of systems is utilized ( FIG. 3 .) This second cross fitting  78  also may be connected to another system located horizontally adjacent. On the bottom of the lower leg  80  is a third cross fitting  84  that holds leg stabilizer tubes  86 . It is to be noted that there is no front leg stabilizer bars so that the system is wheelchair accessible. 
         [0045]    It is to be noted that the second and third cross fittings may also replaced by tee fittings where connection to additional systems is not intended. 
         [0046]    The essential element to the rapid growth rates achieved with this system is the ability of the spray headers to both saturate all 360 degrees of the vegetative root and to maximize the amount of oxygen in the fluid media that the spray header saturates the roots with.  FIG. 13  shows an alternate embodiment spray header  90 . Here can be seen that a small spray header  92  with optional orifices  94  in the caps  34  has been added. Additionally (and optionally) the spinnable spray nozzles  36  on the larger (upper) spray header  24  have been oriented to face downward. This alternate embodiment configuration has applications where there are longer or larger roots as would be found in mature vegetation. In such situations to ensure the continued coverage of a 360 degree root spray additional locations of fluid media spray must be used. The optional orifices  94  that are on the lower small spray header  92  reside in close proximity to the bottom of the sloped enclosure  4  where the fluid media runs back to the drain tube. The stream of fluid media that passes through this orifice  94  sprays into this returning fluid media thereby increasing the overall oxygen content of the fluid media. It is known that there is a plethora of physical configurations of the spray headers with regard to sizes, and spray nozzle placements and orifice locations that can be established from this generic configuration. 
         [0047]    In operation the user need sterilize all the system as is well known in the field, mix the appropriate fluid media of water, nutrients and desired additives and fill the collection vessel  10  with the media, place vegetative cuttings into the slot  54  of the cloning pucks  50 , place the cloning pucks into the cloning lid  42 , place the spray header  24  in the cloning pattern and start the grow light  64  and pump  12 . 
         [0048]    When the clones reach an appropriate size they are removed and the vegetative/flowering stage lid  44  replaces the cloning lid and either pots with rock or plant netting is placed into the plant orifices  48  with a reduced number of plants put into the lid  44 . The spray header&#39;s pattern is adjusted, the fluid media chemistry is adjusted and the system  2  is started up again with the user&#39;s desired changes implemented to the spray cycles and light cycles. 
         [0049]    The above description will enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this invention. It also sets forth the best modes for carrying out this invention. There are numerous variations and modifications thereof that will also remain readily apparent to others skilled in the art, now that the general principles of the present invention have been disclosed. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.