Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the cultivation of plants. More particularly, the present invention relates to the cultivation and display of plants in a decorative planter into which a water and or nutrient-containing fog is in fluid communication with the base or root of a plurality of plants, or a planting medium. 
     The art of growing plants for decorative purposes has been practiced since ancient times. Countless inventions have been developed to solve many of the problems associated with growing and maintaining healthy plants, given the constraints that arise within a particular environment. The present invention intends to specifically target the issues of growing plants in urban or indoor environments where space and direct sunlight may be limited and the cleanliness, portability, maintainability, and visual appeal of both the plants and planter are important. 
     Previous self contained planter designs include U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,327, which discloses a planter made up of tubular sections, each containing a growing medium and an array of plants that can be artistically arranged while allowing fluid to pass from one section to the next. The tube sections are arranged horizontally and take up a considerable amount of space. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,171,782 discloses a planter made from a vertical tube in which multiple plants can be easily inserted or removed. Such vertically oriented structures conserve floor space and often include automatic watering systems to avoid the need to water each plant individually. In the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,676, fluids are pumped to the top of a planter and trickle down a planting medium. U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,997 discloses a planter with an improved irrigation system designed to keep fluids distributed evenly throughout a planter. However, such watering systems have the potential leak or clog. This problem is addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,516,574, which discloses an automatic watering planter that lacks any valves or moving parts. 
     Numerous inventions have improved the growing capabilities of vertical planters by employing hydroponic systems to provide nutrients to plants by immersing the roots in fluids rather than soil. Such hydroponic systems include U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,027, which discloses a vertical hydroponic planter, where plants are inserted into holes in the side of a tube and held in place by a soilless medium into which a nutrient fluid is introduced. This system, however, offers little versatility since it is difficult to replace parts or add plants once a planter is assembled. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,282. Discloses a hydroponic planter, made up of several stackable tubes allowing the addition or removal of planter sections, while U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,923 discloses another planter made up of stackable modules, each containing an array of plants in removable baskets so that individual plants can be added or removed as well as sections of the planter. 
     While hydroponic systems succeed in growing plants quickly the devices employed tend to be bulky and reduce the visual appeal of the planter and its ability to be artistically integrated within its surrounding environment. Additionally the tendency for fluid to flow downward due to gravity limits the orientations that such plants and planter modules can be arranged. 
     This problem can be resolved using an aeroponic system, in which a plant&#39;s roots are kept in a gaseous environment and nutrients are introduced as a spray or mist as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,105. This does not require the storage of fluids at the plant&#39;s roots allowing more freedom in the design of a vertical planter. Such systems are utilized in the inventions disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,918,416, and 8,250,809. Both inventions, however, require liquid nutrients to be pumped to the top of a planter, which inhibits freedom of the planters design and has the potential leak or clog. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,804 discloses an aeroponic planter which uses an ultrasonic transducer to vaporize water directly from a reservoir eliminating the need for any liquid containing tubes. While the output of an ultrasonic humidifier varies depending on its surrounding, a planter with a built in stabilization method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,575. The output of the humidifier can be further optimized to provide the ideal levels of moisture and nutrients specific to the plants being cultivated. Both inventions, however, include the recirculation of fluids, which require filtering to prevent the deterioration of the quality of the nutrient solution. 
     By supplying nutrients in vapor form, the design of a vertical planter is limited primarily by its ability to allow each plant enough light to survive. A planter designed to accommodate a built in light source is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,615,542. However, in this invention a central light source is provided and one or more planters are arranged around it. To allow more freedom in a planter&#39;s design, a planter structure could be constructed and then equipped with an array of light sources, each directed at a portion of the planter. 
     With the ability to keep a consistent flow of water and nutrients to an array of plant at the base or roots, as well as provide adequate light, the structure of a vertical planter and the location and orientation of plants within it can easily take on a much wider range of shapes and designs than those of the inventions listed above. 
     Therefore, it would be useful to provide a vertical planter in which water and nutrients are supplied, in vapor form, throughout a central structure into which plants can be inserted with light sources directed towards the plants. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a self contained tubular planter. At its base, the planter includes a fluid reservoir and an ultrasonic transducer, with which water or nutrient fluid is vaporized and directed into the inside of a generally hollow planter structure. Plants are placed in baskets or planting ports along the walls of the planter structure with roots facing towards the inside of the planter. Light sources may be mounted to the planter in such a way that the light is directed towards the plants. 
     Therefore a general object of the invention is to provide a planter capable of keeping an array of plants alive with minimal maintenance in a wide range of climates especially indoor or urban environments. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a planter made up of modules that can be assembled to take on a large variety of shapes and sizes so that the planter can be artistically integrated into its surrounding environment and décor. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a planter in which light and nutrients provided to the plants can be monitored and optimized to keep plants alive using the least amount of energy and resources possible. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a vertical planter in accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the vertical planter of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the vertical planter of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section side view of the vertical planter of  FIG. 1  with plants included in the planter; 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram of electronic circuitry of the vertical planter of  FIG. 1  in accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  are alternate versions of the vertical planter of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the invention in more detail, in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4  there is shown a vertical planter comprising a base unit  10  containing a nutrient distribution system, and a hollow planter body  12  with openings for receiving plants  14 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the base unit  10  includes a system for delivering a water or nutrient mist to the inside of the planter body  12  using an ultrasonic humidifier. 
     The humidifier comprises; a power supply  16 , a control circuit  18 , a fluid reservoir  20 , and an ultrasonic transducer  22 . Within the humidifier, water or nutrient solution, stored in the refillable reservoir  20 , flows downward through a control valve  24  at the bottom of the reservoir  20  and into a fog chamber  26 . An ultrasonic transducer  22  is secured to the floor of the fog chamber  26  such its vibrating diaphragm  28  is facing upward. 
     The control valve  24  comprises a vertical tube  30  with an opening on the side and a floatable cover  32  which slides vertically along the tube  30  so that it may completely block the opening on the tube  30  as is move upward, preventing the flow of fluid through the valve  24 . The opening and cover  32  are positioned vertically so that fluid is allowed to flow into the fog chamber  26  until the diaphragm  28  of the transducer  22  is submerged by a thin layer, at which point the cover  32  floats high enough to block the opening on the tube  30 . As fluid leaves the fog chamber  26 , the cover  32  drops to allow more fluid from the reservoir  20  to enter until the fluid level is restored. 
     Still referring to the invention in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , the base unit  10  includes a power supply  16  for providing electricity to a control circuit  18  that includes an adjustable transducer driver. When the transducer  22  is activated, its oscillations cause the fluid above it to break up into fine droplets which quickly evaporate to form a mist inside the fog chamber  26 . The resulting mist is then circulated throughout the vertical planter by an air current, generated with an electric fan  34  driven by the control circuit  18  and programmed to run in conjunction with the transducer  22 . The fan  34  is located against a vent  36  on the outside wall of the base unit  10  so that air from outside the planter is sucked through it and directed through a duct  38  and into the fog chamber  26  where it flows through the nutrient mist, carrying it out of the base unit  10  and into the interior of the planter body  12 . 
     The planter body  12  consists of a rigid hollow structure with an array of openings or plant sockets  40  in which plant modules can be inserted. Each plant module includes a rigid outer ring  42  attached to the opening a vapor permeable pocket  44 , which can be filled with a planting medium  46 , in which seeds or plants  14  can be planted. Each plant module can be inserted into a socket  40  so that the pocket  44  portion hangs into the interior of the planter body and the outer ring  42  presses against the rim of the socket  40 , securing it in place. 
     Some or all of the plant modules may be equipped with a moisture sensor  48  embedded within the planting medium  46  and electrically coupled to the control circuit  18 . The control circuit  18  uses moisture readings to ensure that the humidifier is only active when the moisture content of the planting medium  46  falls below a tow threshold level. 
     Additionally, the outside of the planter body  12  may include an array of grow lights and photoresistors  50  to ensure that the plants  14  have adequate light to survive. Each lighting unit comprises an led  52  which may be mounted on the end of a lighting bracket  54  so that light is directed towards one or more plants  14 . A series of photoresistors  50  may also be attached to the outside of the planter body  12  near each plant module and in the path of tight produced by the leds  52 . The leds  52  and photoresistors  50  are electrically coupled to the control circuit  18 , which is programmed to use readings from the photoresistors  50  to drive the leds  52  to produce enough light for the survival of the plants  14  within the planter. 
     In addition, still referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , the base unit  10  may include a set of user controls  56 , including buttons or knobs, and a display unit  58 , electrically coupled to the control circuit  18 , to adjust the output of the grow lights and vapor distribution system as well as display information gathered from the photoresistors  50  and moisture sensors  48 . A float switch  60 , located inside the fog chamber  26 , signals the control circuit  18  when the reservoir  20  runs out of fluid, which is then indicated on the display unit  58 . 
     Referring now to the invention in  FIG. 5 , there is shown a block diagram of the electronic circuitry of the preferred embodiment of a vertical planter. A central processor  100  uses information from an array of moisture sensors  48 , photoresistors  50 , and user controls  56 , to drive a humidifier, lighting system and display unit  58 . A power supply  16 , including a plug for electrically connecting to an ac wall outlet  102 , provides dc power to all other electronic circuitry. 
     In more detail still referring to the invention in  FIG. 5 , the processor  100  is programmed to determine when to activate the humidifier. Measurements from the moisture sensors  48  are read by an analog to digital converter  104  and compared to a threshold value stored in the processor&#39;s memory  106 . If the humidifier is off, and the moisture reading is below a tow threshold value for a sufficient duration, then it is turned on. If the humidifier is on, and the moisture reading is above a high threshold value for a sufficient duration, then it is turned off. The high and low thresholds may be adjusted with the user controls  56 . Information about moisture levels and threshold settings may be provided on the display unit  58 , which preferably includes an led or lcd display. 
     When turning the humidifier on, the processor  100  sends a signal to activate a transducer driver  108  coupled to an ultrasonic transducer  22  for generating mist. The processor  100  is also programmed to signal a motor driver  110  to run electric fiat  34  as a means of generating an air current to disperse the mist when needed. A float switch  60 , coupled to the processor  100 , detects when the humidifier is low on fluid, which is then indicated on the display unit  58 . 
     Additionally, processor  100  is programmed to run a series of teds  52  using feedback from the photoresistors  50 . A minimum light value is stored in the processor&#39;s memory  106  and if any of the photoresistors  50  read a lower value, then the corresponding led  52  is illuminated until the minimum is reached. The processor  100  may be programmed to automatically update the minimum value periodically depending on the time of day or year. Both the minimum value and update characteristics may be adjusted with the user controls  56  with relevant information shown on the display unit  58 . 
     In  FIG. 6  there is shown an alternate version of the vertical planter of  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , in which the planter body  12  is made up of multiple substructures coupled to a single base unit  10 . Through its array of photoresistors  50  and moisture sensors  48 , the control circuit  18  automatically adjusts the level of light and nutrients needed to accommodate plant growth in a wide range of shapes and arrangement of the planter body  12  without any modifications to the base unit  10 . 
     In  FIG. 7  there is shown an additional alternate version of the vertical planter of  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , in which the base unit  10  is concealed inside of the planter body  12  with the user controls  56 , display  58 , and reservoir  20  each accessible beneath a removable panel  200 . The planter includes mounting brackets  202  for wall mounting. 
     While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Technology Category: 1