IT202200021084A1 - HOME GREENHOUSE. - Google Patents

Description

HOME GREENHOUSE

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a domestic greenhouse.

There are known domestic greenhouse structures consisting of a base structure, in which the seeds or pods containing the seeds are housed, and which have a supporting frame at the top, light emitting means, typically LED, which can be suitably programmed.

Irrigation systems that can also be activated by command are also provided, often of the hydroponic type.

The known solutions are essentially divided into two groups: a first group consisting of greenhouses that are very simple in construction, in which the growth environment is not perfectly isolated and in which programming essentially concerns irrigation and irradiation times, and a second group of "professional" type greenhouses that require extremely complex controls at costs that are often not compatible with "domestic" use.

In any case, even professional solutions do not allow for optimizing the growth of all types of plants.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a domestic greenhouse that is capable of improving the known art in one or more of the aspects indicated above.

Within the scope of this task, an object of the invention is to provide a domestic greenhouse capable of ensuring uniform growth of plants, both in height and width.

Another purpose of the invention is to design a home greenhouse that has extremely low management costs.

Not least, the aim of the invention is to create a domestic greenhouse that is highly reliable, relatively easy to construct and at competitive costs.

This task, as well as these and other purposes which will become clearer later, are achieved by a home greenhouse according to claim 1, optionally equipped with one or more of the features of the dependent claims.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the description of some preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of the domestic greenhouse according to the invention, illustrated, by way of example and not by way of limitation, in the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of the domestic greenhouse according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 where the basic structure is shown in transparency;

Figure 3 shows the internal components of the domestic greenhouse in perspective and partially exploded view, and in particular the aerial irrigation device and the lighting means;

Figure 4 is an exploded view of the hydroponic irrigation device of the domestic greenhouse according to the invention;

figure 5 represents, in perspective, the lower portion of the domestic greenhouse in which, for greater clarity, the basic structure has been omitted;

Figure 6 is a perspective view similar to that of Figure 5 in which, for greater clarity, the support body has not been shown;

Figures 7 and 8 represent, in section and partially in cutaway, the phases of hydroponic irrigation.

With reference to the figures cited, the domestic greenhouse for growing vegetables according to the invention, indicated globally with the reference number 1, comprises a base structure 2 presenting a base 2a and a lateral containment surface 2b and defining, internally, a cultivation area 200 associated with lighting means 10 and irrigation means 20.

Preferably, an opening hatch is provided in correspondence with the lateral containment surface 2b to provide access to the inside of the greenhouse 1 and its components.

According to the present invention, the domestic greenhouse 1 comprises a support body 3 intended to house at least one containment body 30 for the seeds of the vegetables to be grown.

The support body 3 can be rotated on command with respect to the base structure 2 around a substantially vertical axis 100.

The irrigation means 20 comprise a lower containment tank 4 intended to contain the water or an aqueous irrigation solution, and an intermediate tank 5 arranged below the support body 3 and internally defining at least one irrigation compartment 5a extending at least up to the height of the at least one containment body 30.

The intermediate tank 5 is connected to the lower containment tank 4 through means for sending water 6 from the lower containment tank 4 to the intermediate tank 5, and through means for discharging water 7 from the intermediate containment tank 5 to the lower containment tank 4 to define a hydroponic type irrigation device 21.

The irrigation means 20 further comprise an overhead irrigation device 22 having at least one diffuser nozzle 22a flowing into the cultivation area 200 above the support body 3.

The diffuser nozzle 22a is connected to a containment tank 22b which can be refilled by the user.

The lighting means 10 comprise a first lighting module 11 arranged above the cultivation area 200 and at least one second lighting module 12 extending laterally with respect to the cultivation area 2 to emit a beam of light intended to be intercepted by the vegetables and/or plants facing the second lighting module 12 during their rotation around the axis 100.

Preferably, the second lighting module extends substantially across the entire height of the growing area 200.

The hydroponic irrigation device 21 comprises at least one pump 21a defining the means of sending water 6 and having a collection mouth leading into the lower containment tank 4 and a delivery mouth leading into the intermediate tank 5.

The hydroponic irrigation device 21 also comprises at least one discharge duct defining the discharge means 7 and having a supply opening leading into the irrigation compartment 5a at a height spaced from the bottom surface of the intermediate tank 5, and an outlet opening arranged below the supply opening and arranged above the lower containment tank 4 to allow part of the water contained in said irrigation compartment 5a to flow towards the lower containment tank 4.

This configuration of the discharge means 7 allows, at each cycle of water transfer from the lower containment tank 4 to the intermediate tank 5, to maintain, once the discharge through the discharge means 7 has finished, a little water inside the intermediate tank 5, so that it can be absorbed by the roots 102 of the plants 101 during their rotation around the axis 100.

With reference to the embodiment shown in the figures, the rotation of the support body 3 around the axis 100 is obtained by providing that the support body 3 is stably associated, at its peripheral edge, with a rack toothing 31 meshing with a pinion 33 connected to the shaft of a drive motor 32.

The support body 31 is rotatably mounted on the intermediate tank by providing, for example, an interface bearing between respective cylindrical mating surfaces arranged around the rotation axis 100.

According to a preferred embodiment, the lower containment tank 4 is associated with means for debacterizing the water contained therein.

Suitably, the debacterization means comprise at least one UV emitting device 50, preferably UVC rays.

Preferably, the home greenhouse 1 comprises means 40 for controlling the water level inside the intermediate tank 4.

The control means 40 comprise, for example, a longitudinally extending sensor 41.

In particular, it is possible to provide respective longitudinal sensors 41 arranged along a vertical direction in correspondence with the lower containment tank 4 and the intermediate tank 5, which are suitable for controlling the various phases of the irrigation process (represented in figures 7, 8 and 3), as well as signalling when it is necessary to add water to the lower containment tank 4.

It is also advantageous to provide that the containment tank 22b of the aerial irrigation device 22 is also provided with sensor means configured to detect when refilling is necessary.

Means of controlling and regulating the temperature and/or humidity within the cultivation area 200 are also provided.

The temperature and/or humidity control means includes, for example, one or more temperature and humidity sensors, while the temperature and humidity regulation means may consist of one or more fans 60 configured to extract or introduce air at the growing zone 200.

The fans 60, as well as any electronic command and control cards 71, are conveniently positioned in correspondence with a sheet-like support body 70 arranged parallel and above the first lighting module 11.

The same sheet-like body 70 also supports cooling fans 61 for the electronic boards 71 and, possibly, for the first lighting module 11.

According to a possible embodiment, the domestic greenhouse 1 has at least two support bodies 3 that can be selectively associated with the intermediate tank 5 and are intended to house containment bodies 30 of different sizes.

This allows you to grow plants and/or vegetables of different types and which require, for example, containment bodies 30 of different sizes.

The containment bodies 30 are intended to house, preferably, earth, compost, peat, etc. possibly containing nutrients.

The soil, as well as the seeds, can be placed inside the respective containment bodies 30 directly by the user.

The home greenhouse 1 conveniently includes at least one camera growth sensor configured to detect and measure crop growth.

It is also possible to provide a sound wave emission device (for example music) to optimize the growth process.

The operation of the domestic greenhouse 1, according to the invention, is as follows.

The user fills the lower containment tank 4 with water, for example mineralized water, up to the required level and associates the containment bodies 30, in which the seeds and soil have been housed, with the support body 3.

At this point the lighting and irradiation program is set, which could be standard or optimized for each crop group.

The program provides for the emission of light by the first and second lighting modules (11, 12), as well as the rotation of the support body 30 in such a way that the seedlings 101 during growth can be irradiated, during their rotation around the axis 100, not only from above but also from the side.

At the same time, irrigation is provided, both by means of the aerial irrigation device 22 and by means of the hydroponic irrigation device 21.

The latter provides that, at a pre-set frequency, water is sent via the water sending means 6, from the lower containment tank 4 towards the intermediate tank 5 in order to bring the water level, as shown in figure 7, to the height of the containment bodies, so that it can directly reach the roots and the soil.

When the longitudinal sensor 41 detects that the preset water level has been reached, the water delivery means 6 are deactivated and the water is discharged from the intermediate tank 5 into the lower containment tank 4 via the discharge means 7.

The particular conformation of the discharge means 7 allows for the maintenance, as illustrated in figure 8, of a small layer of water on the bottom of the intermediate tank, water which is subsequently taken by the roots 102 of the plants 101 during their rotation around the axis 100.

In practice, it has been found that the invention achieves the intended task and purposes by creating a domestic greenhouse that satisfies all the needs that the plant requires during its growth.

In particular, the 101 plants live and grow in a controlled microclimate, while the water used is cyclically sterilized by UVC light, which however never comes into direct contact with the plant.

Temperature, humidity and ventilation are controlled by growing plants in a protected environment.

The light used, which advantageously covers the entire light spectrum useful for the growth of the plant, also irradiates the plants from the sides, allowing less precocious plants, and therefore reached by the perpendicular light with more difficulty, to receive sufficient light for development and growth.

The greenhouse allows you to grow multiple crops in the same environment thanks to the possibility of having multiple containment bodies that contain the soil having the most performing shapes for the crops being grown.

It is also possible to provide that the home greenhouse 1 is equipped with a video camera and an audio system to be able to know all the technical and vital functions of the plants via a remote application (advantageously Bluetooth or Wi-Fi system), being able to then also insert music which, as studies have attested for decades, helps the plant to grow faster and better.

Finally, the greenhouse allows you to feed the plants 101 using three growing methods that are normally used individually.

The soil culture method: the greenhouse begins its life cycle when the seed is placed in the soil and inserted into the containment body 30.

The aeroponic cultivation method: through a humidification system, greenhouse 1 provides the right humidity in the cultivation area 200, initially to the soil, and then to the shoots and subsequently to the stem and leaves, maintaining a constant and controlled beneficial humidity.

The hydroponic culture method: the containment body 30 that contains the soil has holes that allow the roots 102 to come out and having enough space to extend they continue to grow. In this space in communication with the intermediate tank 5 below, water is cyclically pumped to irrigate the roots.

The invention, thus conceived, is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which fall within the scope of the inventive concept; furthermore, all the details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, provided they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent dimensions and shapes, may be any depending on the needs and the state of the art.

Where the features and techniques mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, such signs have been placed for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and consequently such reference signs have no limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims (10)

1. Domestic greenhouse (1) for growing vegetables (101) comprising a base structure (2) having a base (2a) and a lateral containment surface (2b) and defining, internally, a cultivation area (200) associated with lighting means (10) and irrigation means (20), characterised by the fact that it comprises a support body (3) designed to house at least one containment body (30) for the seeds of said vegetables (101), said support body (3) being rotatable on command with respect to said base structure (2) around a substantially vertical axis (100), said irrigation means (20) comprising a lower containment tank (4) designed to contain water or an aqueous irrigation solution, and an intermediate tank (5) arranged below said support body (3) and defining internally at least one irrigation compartment (5a) extending at least up to the height of said at least one containment body containment (30), said intermediate tank (5) being connected to said lower containment tank (4) through means for sending water (6) from said lower containment tank (4) to said intermediate tank (5) and means for discharging water (7) from said intermediate containment tank (5) to said lower containment tank (4) to define a hydroponic type irrigation device (21), said irrigation means (20) further comprising an aerial type irrigation device (22) having at least one diffuser nozzle (23) flowing into said cultivation area (200) above said support body (3), said lighting means (10) comprising a first lighting module (11) arranged above said cultivation area (2) and at least one second lighting module (12) extending laterally with respect to said cultivation area (2) to emit a beam of light intended to be intercepted by said plants (101) facing said second lighting module (12) during their rotation around said axis (100). 2. Domestic greenhouse (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said hydroponic irrigation device (21) comprises at least one pump defining said water delivery means (6) (21a) having a collection mouth leading to said lower containment tank (4) and a delivery mouth leading to said intermediate tank (5). 3. Domestic greenhouse (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said hydroponic irrigation device (21) comprises at least one discharge duct defining said discharge means (7) and having a supply opening leading into said irrigation compartment (5a) at a height spaced from the bottom surface of said intermediate tank (5), and an outlet opening arranged below said supply opening and arranged above said lower containment tank (4) to allow part of the water contained in said irrigation compartment (5a) to flow towards said lower containment tank (4). 4. Domestic greenhouse (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said lower containment tank (4) is associated with means for debacterising the water contained therein. 5. Domestic greenhouse (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said debacterisation means comprise at least one UV ray emission device, preferably UVC rays. 6. Domestic greenhouse (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises means (40) for controlling the water level inside said intermediate tank. 7. Domestic greenhouse (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises means for controlling and regulating the temperature and humidity within said cultivation area. 8. Domestic greenhouse (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that it comprises at least two support bodies (3) intended to house containment bodies (30) of different dimensions. 9. A home greenhouse (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one camera growth sensor configured to detect and measure crop growth. 10. Domestic greenhouse (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said containment bodies (30) comprise soil or peat or the like.