Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Patent
1983-05-18
1985-04-30
Rowland, James L.
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
324 65R, 324 65P, G08B 2100
Patent
active
045147221
ABSTRACT:
The domestic and commercial automatic soil moisture indicator of the present invention employs a pair of probes which are conductive traces (e.g. a printed circuit board) that are coated with material for corrosion and electrolysis resistance to enable long term residence in potted plant soil. The device provides alternating short pulses across the probes to further enhance near zero electrolysis and increase potted plant soil residence time without probe wear. It has a single light emitting diode indicator lamp to blink every ten seconds when soil drops below a customer set level, and a beeper (e.g. piezoelectric ceramic) to sound a beep in unison with the LED flashing during dry soil indication as well as a calibrated-numbered user adjustment to set the dry soil indication level. A coil operating with an integrated circuit DC to DC converter functions to yield operation from a small battery to keep the overall unit small and electric drain down.
Consequently, the unit of the present invention becomes the "state-of-the-art" in soil moisture indicators due to its small size, long battery and electrode life, continuously automatic plant soil moisture monitoring and indication, and compact functionality due to functions integrated into an integrated circuit.
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Radio Electronics (USA), vol. 52, No. 1, Jan., 1981, New Ideas, "Plant Water Gauge" by Bob Mostafapour, p. 73.
Elektor, vol. 2, No. 11, pp. 1121-1123, Nov., 1976, "Dew Line".
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Batcheler Jerry H.
Marek Raymond G.
Myer Daniel
Rowland James L.
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