BLOCK STORAGE ELEMENT WITH FLUID TRANSFER AND OVERFLOW MECHANISM

Abstract

A block storage element which is used for the propagation of vegetable or fungal biomass and is stackable. To enhance functionality of the block storage element, the block storage element includes a fluid reservoir with an overflow mechanism.

Claims

1. A block storage element for propagation of vegetable or fungal biomass, comprising: a fluid reservoir with an overflow mechanism, wherein the block storage element is configured to be stackable.

2. The block storage element according to claim 1, further comprising a channeling or distribution apparatus, wherein the overflow mechanism interacts with the channeling or distribution apparatus.

3. The block storage element according to claim 1, further comprising an outlet valve.

4. The block storage element according to claim 1, further comprising an inlet funnel.

5. The block storage element according to claim 4, wherein the inlet funnel and the overflow mechanism are arranged in different regions of the block storage element.

6. A block storage arrangement comprising: a block storage element receiving space configured to receive at least one block storage element according to claim 1; and at least one fluid or nutrient supply device.

7. The block storage arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the at least one fluid or nutrient supply device comprises at least one shutoff valve.

8. The block storage arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the at least one fluid or nutrient supply device comprises an actuating apparatus for an outlet valve of the at least one block storage element.

9. The block storage arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the at least one fluid or nutrient supply device comprises a pump.

10. The block storage arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the at least one fluid or nutrient supply device comprises a storage tank.

11. The block storage arrangement according to claim 6, wherein at least two elements of the at least one fluid or nutrient supply device are at least in fluid connection.

12. A method for removing the block storage element according to claim 1 from a block storage arrangement, wherein the fluid reservoir is maximally filled with fluid up to an overflow mechanism, the method comprising: draining the fluid reservoir of the block storage element.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the block storage arrangement comprises a plurality of block storage elements that are drained and removed sequentially.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of block storage elements are stacked, and the method further comprises a bottommost block storage element of the stacked block storage elements is drained and removed in each case.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the draining comprises interaction between a shutoff valve of the block storage arrangements and an outlet valve of the block storage element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention is further described in the detailed description which follows, in reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way of non-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, in which like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings, and wherein:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a block storage arrangement;

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a block storage element;

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the block storage element;

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of an outlet valve and an actuating apparatus in a non-actuated state;

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of an outlet valve and an actuating apparatus in an actuated state; and

[0031] FIG. 6 shows a flow diagram of the block storage arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0032] The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the present invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the present invention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of the present invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the present invention may be embodied in practice.

[0033] The block storage arrangement 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises at least one block storage element receiving space 2. A loading space, not shown, is arranged below the block storage element receiving space 2. At least one block storage element 3 is arranged in the block storage element receiving space 2. The block storage element 3 can be transferred into an interior of the block storage system through a placement-into-storage and removal-from-storage station 4.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows an illustration of the block storage element 3. An outlet valve 5 is arranged on a front face of the block storage element 3. An inlet funnel 6 is arranged on the top side of the block storage element 3. The bottom side of the block storage element 3 comprises a channeling or distribution apparatus 7.

[0035] FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the block storage element 3. A fluid reservoir 8 is arranged in a base of the block storage element 3. In the base, an overflow mechanism 9 is also arranged which interacts with the channeling or distribution apparatus 7.

[0036] In FIGS. 4 and 5, a cross-section of the actuating apparatus 10 and of the outlet valve 5 is illustrated. FIG. 4 thereby shows a non-actuated state in which the actuating apparatus 10 and the outlet valve 5 are separated. The actuating apparatus 10 is furthermore arranged outside of the block storage element receiving space 2 in the non-actuated state. The outlet valve 5 is actuated by the actuating apparatus 10.

[0037] In FIG. 5, an actuated state is illustrated in which the actuating apparatus 10 actuates the outlet valve 5. The outlet valve 5 is in fluid connection with the fluid reservoir 8. The actuating apparatus 10 is moved from the non-actuated state into the actuated state and vice versa by a movement mechanism which is not shown.

[0038] FIG. 6 shows a flow diagram for the block storage arrangement 1 having multiple block storage elements 3 that are arranged in a block storage element receiving space 2. The arrows illustrated schematically show a flow of fluid and/or nutrient solution. This exemplary illustration furthermore shows a storage tank 11 which can be arranged at a topmost point, in the direction of gravity, of a fluid and/or nutrient supply device. The storage tank 11 is in fluid connection with a shutoff valve 12. In this example, planting containers are arranged in the fluid reservoir 8, in which planting containers plants are also arranged. The planting containers comprise a fluid-permeable base in which plant roots can become entangled. The plants are stabilized by their roots and the base of the planting container. The plants can also grow on a substrate or the like. The block storage element 3 comprises an overflow mechanism 9 that interacts with the channeling or distribution apparatus 7. The overflow mechanism 9 is arranged at a first end of the channeling or distribution apparatus 7, and the inlet funnel 6 is arranged at a second end of the channeling or distribution apparatus 7. The fluid reservoir 8 furthermore comprises a channeling structure which channels the fluid and/or nutrient solution to the overflow mechanism 9 starting from the inlet funnel 6. The channeling structure thereby ensures that the fluid and/or nutrient solution reaches a majority of the fluid reservoir 8 before the fluid and/or nutrient solution arrives at the overflow mechanism 9. The block storage element 3 furthermore comprises an outlet valve 5. Starting from the bottommost block storage element 3, the fluid and/or nutrient solution is transferred, for example, into a processing device, not shown, or the storage tank 11 by a pump not shown.

[0039] An exemplary process will be described below, starting with a placement of the block storage element 3 into storage and continuing through growth phases of plants which are arranged in a planting container in the fluid reservoir 8, up to the removal of the block storage element 3 from storage together with the plants arranged in the planting container.

[0040] The block storage element 3 is loaded with seeds, seedlings, or plants and is transferred into the placement-into-storage and removal-from-storage station 4. The placement-into-storage and removal-from-storage station 4 forms an entrance to and exit from the block storage arrangement 1. The placement-into-storage and removal-from-storage station 4 can thereby be connected to the loading space by a port arrangement not shown. The block storage element 3 is transferred into the block storage element receiving space 2 via the loading space.

[0041] The block storage element 3 is transferred into the block storage system 1 through a placement-into-storage and removal-from-storage station 4, and is also removed again therefrom. In the present embodiment, the placement-into-storage and removal-from-storage station 4 is connected to the loading space by a port not shown. The port is in turn connected to the loading space, which is arranged below at least one block storage element receiving space 2. In the loading space, a movable loading vehicle is arranged which transfers the block storage element 3 from the port into a block storage element receiving space 2. To do so, the loading vehicle picks up the block storage element 3 from the port in that the loading vehicle lifts up the block storage element 3 from below, in the direction of gravity, as a result of which the block storage element 3 is arranged on the loading vehicle. The loading vehicle, together with the block storage element 3, then moves to the block storage element receiving space 2 into which the block storage element 3 is to be placed into storage. Upon arriving there, the loading vehicle lifts the block storage element 3 upwards against the direction of gravity. If one or more block storage elements 3 are already arranged in the block storage element receiving space 2 that is to be filled, the loading vehicle lifts the block storage element 3 being placed into storage, together with the block storage elements 3 arranged up above, and thus forms a block storage element stack. Once the block storage element stack has been lifted above a certain height by the loading vehicle, holding elements, not shown, that hold the block storage element stack move so that the loading vehicle can lower again without the block storage element 3. The loading vehicle is then free and can place additional block storage elements 3 into storage or remove them from storage. During a removal-from-storage process, only the bottommost block storage element 3 of a block storage element stack arranged in a block storage element receiving space 2 can be removed in each case. For this purpose, the loading vehicle is positioned below the block storage element 3 being removed and lifts it or the block storage element stack so that the holding element moves into a release position. The loading vehicle then lowers the block storage element stack. Once the block storage element stack has been lowered a certain distance, the holding elements move back into a holding position and hold the remaining block storage element stack in the block storage element receiving space 2. The bottommost block storage element 3 of the block storage element stack is then arranged on the loading vehicle, which transfers the block storage element 3 to the port arrangement (port). From there, the block storage element 3 can be transported further, serviced, repaired, placed back into storage, or the like. The procedure of placing the block storage element 3 into storage is repeated until a desired number of block storage elements 3 is arranged in the block storage element receiving space 2.

[0042] Once the desired number of block storage elements 3 is then arranged in the block storage element receiving space 2, the fluid and/or nutrient supply device can supply the block storage elements 3 with fluid and/or nutrient solutions (hereinafter referred to as fluid). For this purpose, fluid is transferred into the fluid reservoir 8 of a first block storage element 3 via the shutoff valve 12 starting from the storage tank 11. In this exemplary embodiment, the first block storage element 3 is the uppermost block storage element 3 of a block storage element stack. A fluid level in the fluid reservoir 8 rises until the fluid flows over the overflow mechanism 9. From the overflow mechanism 9, the fluid flows via the channeling or distribution apparatus 7 into the inlet funnel 6 of the second block storage element 3 located thereunder. The channeling or distribution apparatus 7 can thereby comprise a groove, a hose, a tube, or the like. The procedure is then repeated until all fluid reservoirs 8 of the block storage elements 3 within the block storage element receiving space 2 have been supplied with adequate fluid. A fluid flow through the fluid reservoir 8 occurs because the overflow mechanism 9 and the inlet funnel 6 are arranged at a distance from one another. The fluid thus floods the entire fluid reservoir 8 before the fluid can run off through the overflow mechanism 9. Preferably, the overflow mechanism 9 and the inlet funnel 6 are arranged at different ends of the fluid reservoir 8.

[0043] Because no other block storage element 3 is arranged below the bottommost block storage element 3, the channeling or distribution apparatus 7 would no longer work properly. The outlet valve 5 of the bottommost block storage element 3 therefore interacts at least temporarily with the actuating apparatus 10. It is thus prevented that the fluid drains out via the overflow mechanism 9 of the bottommost block storage element 3.

[0044] Through the interaction of the outlet valve 5 and the actuating apparatus 10, the fluid level is lowered early enough before an overflow of the fluid in the fluid reservoir 8 of the bottommost block storage element 3. The collected fluid is fed to a processing device not shown, and is from there transferred back into the storage tank 11 or other components. Starting from the actuating apparatus 10, the fluid is conveyed by a pump not shown. However, the pump can thereby also be arranged at a different location, for example downstream of the processing or in the region of the storage tank 11. As soon as the fluid level has risen sufficiently in every fluid reservoir 8 of the block storage elements 3, the shutoff valve 12 is closed again. As a result, no additional fluid can reach the block storage elements 3 or the fluid reservoir 8. At chronological intervals, the shutoff valve 12 can be opened again in order to restore the fluid level that was depleted by the plants or fungi. The outlet valve 5 can also be opened by the actuating apparatus 10 once the fluid has reached a certain height in the fluid reservoir 8. An unintended runoff through the overflow mechanism 9 can thus be prevented. A continuous, consistent circulation of the fluid and/or nutrient supply device is likewise possible, but not always necessary.

[0045] To remove the block storage elements 3 from storage together with the plants that are ready for harvesting, the fluid is fully or partially emptied in the respective bottommost block storage element 3 by an interaction of the outlet valve 5 and the actuating apparatus 10. As a result, the block storage element 3 can be handled more easily, since on the one hand the block storage element 3 weighs less and on the other hand the risk of a fluid spilling over is reduced. The block storage element 3 can be removed from storage in its drained state. For this purpose, the block storage element 3, as described above, is removed in a downward direction and delivered to the placement-into-storage and removal-from-storage station 4 through the port. From there, the block storage element 3 can be processed or transported further. In addition, in a state of having been removed from storage, the block storage element 3 can be serviced in that the outlet valve 5 is replaced or changed.

[0046] Depending on whether the plants are to be harvested, transplanted, or transported, a certain level of fluid can remain in the fluid reservoir 8. The plants thus remain in contact with the fluid during transport, as a result of which they are longer-lasting.

[0047] It is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the present invention. While the present invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it is understood that the words which have been used herein are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made, within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention in its aspects. Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, the present invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0048] 1 Block storage arrangement [0049] 2 Block storage element receiving space [0050] 3 Block storage element [0051] 4 Placement-into-storage and removal-from-storage station [0052] 5 Outlet valve [0053] 6 Inlet funnel [0054] 7 Channeling or distribution apparatus [0055] 8 Fluid reservoir [0056] 9 Overflow mechanism [0057] 10 Actuating apparatus [0058] 11 Storage tank [0059] 12 Shutoff valve