Plant husbandry – Receptacle for growing medium – Irrigator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-23
2001-11-13
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3643)
Plant husbandry
Receptacle for growing medium
Irrigator
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314678
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a cultivating apparatus, which directly supplies nutrient/water to cultivated plants.
BACKGROUND ART
A conventional cultivating apparatus, as described in Japanese Patent Kokoku Publication No. 56689/1991, is an apparatus to supply water to plants.
The above cultivating apparatus is configured such that porous pipes buried in soil are connected to a water source via a water supplying hose. The water is forced to ooze out to soil from the porous pipe connected to the water supplying hose, with the effect of a difference of negative pressure due to the lower water level of the water source than the porous pipe, thereby supplying water to the roots of cultivated plants through soil.
However, regarding this cultivating apparatus in accordance with the conventional example, water is supplied in soil with the use of the difference of negative pressure due to the level of the water source and through soil. Therefore, only if a pinhole is made in the water supplying hose, water supply becomes impossible, and time and effort are required for maintenance.
Furthermore, when an attempt is made to supply a proper amount of water depending on the types of the soil, cultivated plants and the like, fine adjustment is required, and the adjustment is not easy.
Moreover, regarding the above-mentioned cultivating apparatus, since water evaporate through soil, a large amount of water is required to be supplied, resulting in losing too much water.
In addition, since the cultivating apparatus requires soil, the entire size of the apparatus tends to be large; furthermore, soil spills cause stained floors, thereby making the apparatus not suitable for indoor use.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an object of this invention is to provide a cultivating apparatus with easy maintenance, water conservation, easy miniaturization and indoor cultivation.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to attain the above-mentioned object, a first characteristic of the present invention is that nutrient/water positioned at a level lower than that of a microporous fired element having a water suction capability is supplied to the above-mentioned microporous fired element by the force of the capillary phenomenon, and that the root of the cultivated plant directly sucks nutrient/water kept in the interior of the above-mentioned microporous fired element by the force of the capillary phenomenon roots of a cultivated plant are directly made contact with the surface of a microporous fired element to supply nutrient/water required for the cultivated plant.
A second characteristic is that the cultivated plant is allowed to take root at least on the inner surfaces of the microporous fired elements disposed opposite to each other.
A third characteristic is that the cultivated plant is allowed to take root in the clearance between the microporous fired element and a water-impermeable flat element for covering the surface of the microporous fired element.
A fourth characteristic is that a part of the above-mentioned microporous fired element is made contact with a nutrient/water supply means.
With the first to fourth characteristics of the present invention, water can be directly supplied from the microporous fired element, unlike the conventional example, whereby time and effort are not required for maintenance.
In addition, the cultivated plant directly sucks the nutrient/water held in the interior of the microporous fired element as necessary.
Furthermore, since water is not supplied via soil in the cultivating apparatus of this invention, water does not evaporate from soil, water conservation can be attained. For this reason, only the minimum amount of water need to be supplied directly, and such irrigation as in the case of the conventional example is not necessary. As a result, salt in soil does not have any chance to rise to the surface, and there is no possibility of salt condensation, and even recovering of vegetation in deserts could be attained, if this invention is applied. Moreover, since cultivation is possible by using the minimum amount of nutrient/water, the consumption of fertilizer can be minimized, resulting in reducing salt accumulation caused by fertilizer, and thus preventing damage due to it.
In addition, since the cultivating apparatus of the present invention does not require soil, the apparatus can be miniaturized easily, and there is no chance that floors would be stained by spilled soil. For these reasons, compact cultivating apparatus suited for indoor cultivation can be provided. As a result, even cultivating apparatus capable of being used in the space could be obtained.
Besides, since the microporous fired element does not allow microbes to pass through, highly safe and clean cultivation can be accomplished.
Furthermore, the cultivated plant can be cultivated by supplying the nutrient/water positioned at a level lower than that of the microporous fired element by using only the force of the capillary phenomenon, not by using positive or negative pressure. For this reason, the nutrient/water does not ooze out to the surface of the cultivating apparatus. As a result, the nutrient/water does not cause as drops of water, whereby wasteful water consumption by outflow and evaporation can be prevented, resulting in water conservation. Furthermore, since the cultivated plant directly sucks the nutrient/water as necessary by using only the force of the capillary phenomenon and the suction force of the root thereof, no special power source is required to supply them, whereby the structure can be simplified.
In particular, with the second and third characteristics, the cultivated plants take root in the clearance between the microporous fired elements disposed opposite to each other or in the clearance between the microporous fired element and the water-impermeable flat element, cultivating apparatus having a small floor area can be obtained.
Additionally, with the fourth characteristic, the microporous fired element absorbs required nutrient/water by making contact with the nutrient/water supply means, whereby time and effort are not required for water supply and convenience is thus provided.
A fifth characteristic is that the above-mentioned nutrient/water supply means is made of aggregated fibers capable of holding nutrient/water.
With the fifth characteristic, since a proper amount of nutrient/water can be kept in the fibers, stable supply of them can be attained.
A sixth characteristic is that an inner space filled with fibers capable of holding nutrient/water is formed inside the above-mentioned microporous fired element.
With the sixth characteristic, since the inner space filled with the fibers capable of holding nutrient/water is formed inside the above-mentioned microporous fired element, the cultivated plants can survive from withering even if the external supply of nutrient/water are insufficient for prolonged time.
A seventh characteristic is that one end of a water supply rope consist of fiber bundle is connected to the above-mentioned nutrient/water supply means for sucking up nutrient/water by the capillary phenomenon.
With the seventh characteristic, one end of the fiber bundle is connected to the nutrient/water supply means of the microporous fired element. For this reason, nutrient/water can be supplied by the capillary phenomenon, whereby a pump or other artificial device is not necessary, and the apparatus can be simplified.
An eighth characteristic is that at least two inner spaces are formed inside the above-mentioned microporous fired element, wherein one of the inner spaces is filled with fibers capable of holding water, and the other inner space is filled with fertilizer.
With the eighth characteristic, the supply of water can be separated from the supply of nutrient. For this reason, the generation of microbes, fungi and algae is less than that in the case when nutrient/water containing nutrient and water mixed in advance is supplied, whereby the water supply rope or the like is hardly clogged. In addition, the concentra
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Gellner Jeffery L.
Phytoculture Control Co., Ltd.
Poon Peter M.
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