DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR PLANT GROWING

Abstract

Disclosed herein are devices and a system for hydroponically growing plants. A pod comprising a top surface, a bottom surface and at least one side surface, said side surface connecting the top surface and the bottom surface is disclosed. The pod body comprises an indentation. A contour of the top surface of the pod body is larger than a contour of the bottom surface of the body. Additionally or alternatively to the contours geometry, the pod comprises a protective layer forming a barrier between at least part of said indentation and surrounding medium. The system for growing plants comprises the pod and a socket configured to receive the pod. A contour of the bottom surface is smaller than a contour of the socket opening and a contour of the top surface is larger than a contour of the socket opening.

Claims

1. A pod for hydroponically growing plants, the pod comprising a body comprising a top surface, a bottom surface and at least one side surface, said side surface connecting the top surface and the bottom surface; wherein the body comprises an indentation; and wherein a contour of the top surface of the body is larger than a contour of the bottom surface of the body.

2. The pod according to claim 1, wherein the side surface substantially corresponds to a surface of revolution created by rotating a line segment about the axis connecting a center of the contour of the top surface and a center of the contour of the bottom surface, and wherein the angle between a line comprising the line segment and said axis comprises 5 to 45 degrees.

3. The pod according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the contour of the top surface to the contour of the bottom surface comprises between 1.5 and 2.

4. The pod according to claim 1, further comprising a protective layer forming a barrier between at least a part of the indentation in the body and surrounding medium.

5. The pod according to claim 4, wherein the protective layer is soluble in water.

6. The pod according to claim 4, wherein the protective layer has a surface area substantially corresponding to a truncated spherocylinder.

7. The pod according to claim 4, wherein the protective layer comprises an enclosed space.

8. The pod according to claim 7, wherein the enclosed space comprises at least one atmospheric parameter independent of protective layer surroundings' atmospheric parameters.

9. The pod according to claim 7, wherein the protective layer is configured to fix seeds within the enclosed space.

10. The pod according to claim 9, wherein the protective layer is fitted to the body of the pod configured to withstand a separating force of at least 0.1 N.

11. The pod according to claim 1, further comprising a supporting layer adjacent to the top surface.

12. A system for growing plants, the system comprising a pod comprising a body comprising a top surface, a bottom surface and at least one side surface, said side surface connecting the top surface and the bottom surface; and a socket comprising an opening configured to receive the pod; wherein a contour of the bottom surface is smaller than a contour of the socket opening; and wherein a contour of the top surface is larger than a contour of the socket opening.

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising a protective layer configured to be fitted to an indentation of the pod body.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the protective layer comprises a capsule configured to encapsulate seeds.

15. The system according to claim 12, further comprising a supporting layer configured to maintain pod integrity.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the supporting layer is configured to be simultaneously adjacent to the pod and the socket.

17. The system according to claim 12, configured to be used with a hydroponic plant growth cabinet.

18. The pod according to claim 5, wherein the protective layer has a surface area substantially corresponding to a truncated spherocylinder.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein the protective layer comprises a capsule configured to encapsulate seeds.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0154] FIGS. 1a and 1b depict an embodiment of a pod for growing plants, shown in a side view in FIG. 1a, and a bottom view in FIG. 1b;

[0155] FIGS. 2a and 2b depict further embodiments of a pod for growing plants with a protecting layer;

[0156] FIGS. 3a and 3b depict embodiments of a pod for growing plants fitted to a socket, shown in a side view;

[0157] FIGS. 4a and 4b depict embodiments of a pod for growing plants and a socket for fitting the pod, where the pod and socket are shown side by side in FIG. 4a, and fitted together in FIG. 4b.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0158] FIGS. 1a and 1b shows an embodiment of a pod for growing plants from a side view and bottom view respectively.

[0159] The pod 1 comprises a body 2. The pod 1 comprises a top surface 4, located at the top of the body 2. The pod 1 also comprises a bottom surface 6, correspondingly located at the bottom of the body 2. Side surface 8 joins the top surface 4 and the bottom surface 6, running around the body 2. The side surface may comprise one or more surfaces. For example, the side surface may comprise one smooth conical surface. In another example, the side surface 8 may comprise a plurality of joined planes, such as a truncated pyramidal surface.

[0160] There may be a plurality of side surfaces 8 that are not directly joined to each other. For example, the pod 1 may comprise a solid “T” shape comprising two cylinders with different diameters joined together. In this embodiment, the side surface 8 may comprise both side surfaces of the two cylinders. The top surface 4 may then comprise the top surface of one of the cylinders, and the bottom surface 6 may comprise the bottom surface of the other cylinder.

[0161] The top surface 4 comprises a larger contour than the bottom surface 6. That is, a tracing of the top surface 4 is larger than that of the bottom surface 6. Generally, the surface area of the top surface 4 is also larger than that of the bottom surface 6. However, this surface area then needs to be computed by including an area of an indentation 10, which is generally placed in the top surface 4.

[0162] The pod indentation 10 can be a circular or differently shaped indentation. It can have a height of at least 1/10 of the height of the pod 1. The indentation 10 may be used to place seeds into the pod 1.

[0163] FIG. 1a shows lines A and B, corresponding to diameters of the top surface 4 and bottom surface 6 respectively, in the case where they are substantially circular. When they are not, the lines A and B can correspond to the diameters of circles circumscribed around them respectively. The length of line A is larger than the length of line B. This is corresponding to the contour of the top surface 4 being larger than the contour of the bottom surface 6.

[0164] FIG. 1b shows a bottom view of the pod 1. The bottom surface 6 and the top surface 4 are visible. They are shown in FIG. 1b as circles, but this is exemplary, as they can also comprise a different shape, such as a polygon. The shapes of the top and bottom surfaces can also be different. Lines A and B are shown in the bottom view as well. As before, A>B.

[0165] FIGS. 2a and 2b show embodiments of a pod for growing plants comprising a protective layer 12.

[0166] FIG. 2a shows the pod 1 with an indentation 10 (shaped here differently than in FIG. 1a for exemplary purposes). The protective layer 12 forms a barrier between the pod indentation 10 and surrounding medium. In other words, the protective layer 12 separates the inside of the indentation 10 from ambient surroundings. A seed or seeds 16 are shown in the indentation 10, protected by the protective layer 12. The protective layer 12 can generally be suited to prevent early germination of the seeds 16, before the pod 1 is placed within a hydroponic plant growth cabinet where the plant can be grown. This can primarily mean that the protective layer 12 ensures that the seeds 16 remain within the indentation, and limits and humidity exposure due to ambient medium.

[0167] The protective layer 12 is shown in FIG. 2a as a semicircle. This can be one embodiment of the protective layer. However, the protective layer 12 can also comprise a layer which extends across all of the indentation 10 and/or all of the top surface 4.

[0168] Preferably, the protective layer is manufactured from a water-soluble material. For example, the protective layer can comprise gelatin, such as a gelatin capsule, or a part of a gelatin capsule.

[0169] In FIG. 2b, the protective layer encapsulates or encloses the seeds 16. This is one preferred embodiment, as it can advantageously allow for storage of the seeds 16 separately from the pod 1, and their placement within a pod immediately preceding germinating the seeds 16. In other words, the encapsulating protective layer 12 comprising the seeds 16 may be stored separately from the pod 1. In this way, the pod 1 can be made fungible, as a plurality of different seeds can be placed into its indentation 10 within the encapsulating protective layer 12. The pods 1 and the protective layer 12 with the seeds 16 can then be manufactured and stored separately until later combination for starting germination.

[0170] The encapsulating protective layer 12 can also be more efficient in preventing early germination, as it can completely isolate or separate the seeds 16 from the surrounding medium.

[0171] FIGS. 3a and 3b depict embodiments of a pod 1 fitted with a socket 100.

[0172] FIG. 3a shows a pod 1 with a truncated conical shape fitted to a socket 100. The socket 100 comprises a socket opening 102, where the pod 1 may be inserted. The line segment B, corresponding to a diameter of a circumscribing circle of the bottom surface 6 is shorter than the length of the socket opening 102. Conversely, the line segment A, corresponding to a diameter of a circumscribing circle of the top surface 4 is longer than the length of the socket opening 102. In this way, the truncated conical (or truncated pyramidal) shape of the pod 1 advantageously allows it to be supported by the socket 100.

[0173] When fitted to the socket 100, a part of the pod 1 remains above the opening 102. This part may comprise about 1/10 of the height of the pod 1 or so. The part may additionally or alternatively comprise about 1 mm. The opening 10 in the top surface 4 remains above the opening 102. This is to allow seedlings to grow upwards from the opening 10.

[0174] FIG. 3b shows an alternative shape of the pod 1 also discussed above. This shape comprises two stacked cylinders with different diameters. The diameter of the top cylinder (corresponding to the length of the line segment A in the case of circular cylinder) is larger than the diameter of the bottom cylinder (corresponding to the length of the line segment B in the case of the circular cylinder). Line segment C corresponds to the length of the socket opening 102. This length is larger than that of the line segment B and smaller than that of the line segment A. Therefore, the relationship A>C>B applies.

[0175] Also shown in FIG. 3b is the protective layer 12 placed on top of the pod indentation 10. The protective layer 12 generally remains above the socket opening 102 when the pod 1 is placed inside it. The depth of the indentation 10 need not correspond to the height of the first cylinder in this scenario, it may be smaller or larger.

[0176] Further shown is a supporting layer 20. The supporting layer 20 may serve to support the integrity of the pod and to also separate the part of the pod body 2 protruding above the socket opening 102 from the surrounding medium. This can be useful, for example, to avoid algae growth on the pod 1.

[0177] The supporting layer 20 may also serve to ensure that the pod 1 is not displaced from the socket opening 102 or disintegrates. The supporting layer 20 may comprise a biodegradable material.

[0178] FIGS. 4a and 4b show embodiments of the pod 1 and the socket 100. In FIG. 4a, the pod 1 and the socket 100 are shown side by side. FIG. 4b shows the pod 1 placed into the socket 100.

[0179] The socket 100 may correspond to a cup for growing plants, described for example in the applicant's patent application EP 3 251 499 A1. A plurality of such cups may be placed inside a plant growth cabinet, where plants may be grown in them. A pod 1 can be placed into each of the cups 100, and multiple different plants can be grown simultaneously in a plant growth cabinet.

[0180] The socket 100 comprises a socket opening 102. Inside the socket opening 102 is a socket cavity 104. When the pod 1 is fitted to the socket 100, most of it may be contained within the cavity 104. The depth of the cavity 104 is preferably larger than the height of the portion of the pod 1 fitting within the cavity 104. This is to allow roots of seedlings and later plants to remain suspended within the cavity 104.

[0181] The pod 1 preferably snugly fits within the socket opening 102. In this way, light reaching the socket cavity can be severely limited, and the roots of plants growing from the pod 1 protected from it. This is shown in FIG. 4b, with the socket opening 102 fully covered by the pod 1 once it is inserted into the cavity 104.

[0182] The socket 100 further comprises a socket channel 106. The socket channel 106 may allow liquid (preferably water with nutrients) to reach the inside of opening 102 (so the cavity 104) when the pod 1 is fitted to the socket 100. In this way, water and nutrients may still reach the roots of the plants growing from the pod 1.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0183] 1—pod

[0184] 2—body

[0185] 4—top surface

[0186] 6—bottom surface

[0187] 8—side surface

[0188] 10—pod indentation

[0189] 12—protective layer

[0190] 14—enclosed space of the protective layer

[0191] 16—seed

[0192] 20—supporting layer

[0193] 22—supporting layer aperture

[0194] 100—socket

[0195] 102—socket opening

[0196] 104—socket cavity

[0197] 106—socket channel

[0198] Whenever a relative term, such as “about”, “substantially” or “approximately” is used in this specification, such a term should also be construed to also include the exact term. That is, e.g., “substantially straight” should be construed to also include “(exactly) straight”.

[0199] Whenever steps were recited in the above or also in the appended claims, it should be noted that the order in which the steps are recited in this text may be the preferred order, but it may not be mandatory to carry out the steps in the recited order. That is, unless otherwise specified or unless clear to the skilled person, the order in which steps are recited may not be mandatory. That is, when the present document states, e.g., that a method comprises steps (A) and (B), this does not necessarily mean that step (A) precedes step (B), but it is also possible that step (A) is performed (at least partly) simultaneously with step (B) or that step (B) precedes step (A). Furthermore, when a step (X) is said to precede another step (Z), this does not imply that there is no step between steps (X) and (Z). That is, step (X) preceding step (Z) encompasses the situation that step (X) is performed directly before step (Z), but also the situation that (X) is performed before one or more steps (Y1), . . . , followed by step (Z). Corresponding considerations apply when terms like “after” or “before” are used.