Hydroponic Growing System

Abstract

Hydroponic growing systems are gaining in popularity because of the relative ease of use and these systems eliminate the traditional problems with growing plants in earth: insects and fungus, among other issues. Hydroponic growing systems do not depend on soil and therefore the issue of insects and bugs and/or other harmful elements to plants are largely avoided. The device in this case circulates water through a closed system on a timed basis; the primary issue for this system is accommodating the right growing conditions for the plant. This issue is addressed by using substrate to promote healthy plant growth.

Claims

1. The inventor claims a hydroponic growing system, which is comprised of: a. a reservoir; wherein the reservoir is self-contained; wherein the reservoir holds a predetermined amount of water; wherein the top of the reservoir can be removed; b. grow tubes; wherein the grow tubes run parallel to each other on the top surface of the reservoir; c. a plurality of growth cup openings; d. growth cups; wherein the seed of a plant is placed in the growth cup; e. irrigation tubes wherein the irrigation tubes are placed within the growth tubes; wherein a plurality of perforations are placed on the feeder tubes; f. a substrate material; wherein the substrate material is placed in the interior of the growth tube; g. a pair of grates; wherein a pair of grates are placed on the ends of the interior of the growth tubes; h. a drain; i. a water level indicator; j. a pump; wherein the pump circulates water through the system; wherein associated piping is connected to the pump to circulate water in the system; k. a means to expand the system; l. an airstone.

2. The hydroponic growing system as described in claim 1 wherein the openings of the growth tube are different sizes.

3. The hydroponic growing system as described in claim 1 wherein the substrate material may vary depending on the type of plant.

4. The hydroponic growing system as described in claim 1 wherein the grow tubes can be horizontal.

5. The hydroponic growing system as described in claim 1 wherein the grow tubes can be vertical.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the outer surface of the hydroponic growing system.

[0017] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the reservoir of the hydroponic growing system.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of both sections of the hydroponic growing system.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a front cross-sectional view of the reservoir of the hydroponic growing system.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a detail cross-sectional view of the growing and irrigation tube of the hydroponic growing system.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the vertical expansion means.

[0022] FIG. 7 is an exploded view showing the system expansion.

NUMBERING REFERENCES

[0023] 5Device [0024] 6Self-Contained Reservoir/Watertight Vessel [0025] 10Growth Tube [0026] 15Growth Cup Openings [0027] 20Growth Cups [0028] 25Irrigation Tubes [0029] 30Perforations on irrigation tubes [0030] 35Substrate material [0031] 40Grate [0032] 45Drain [0033] 50Water level indicator [0034] 55Pump [0035] 60Expansion Piece [0036] 65Air Pump [0037] 70Air Stone [0038] 75Flex pipe [0039] 80Threaded fitting [0040] 85Cap [0041] 90Straight coupler

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0042] The device is a self-contained hydroponic growing system. Because this system is self-contained the water losses in the system should be minimal. Hydroponic growing systems use only water to grow plants. With this type of system, issues that are related to growing plants are not present. Some of these issues include the issue of insects and finding the right salinity and pH of the soil. While these issues may not be present in hydroponic systems, the person operating a hydroponic system must worry about ideal growing conditions including finding the correct pH of the water as well as regulating the amount of water that is in contact with the root structure of the plants.

[0043] The device has several components among others: a self-contained reservoir 6, a pair of growth tubes 10, a pair of irrigation tubes 25, a drain 45, a water level indicator 50 a pump 55 and associated piping. An air stone 70 is also included to infuse oxygen into the water that is circulated through the system.

[0044] A quantity of water is placed in the reservoir 6 and is pumped through a pair of hollow, perforated irrigation tubes 25 in a closed loop such as depicted in FIG. 3. The feeder tubes 25 are placed inside the pair of growth tubes 10. Water is pumped through the feeder tubes using a timer (not depicted). The frequency of watering and length of each watering period may vary with the type of plant that is being grown. A plurality of perforations 30 are placed in the irrigation tubes to ensure that each of the plants receives the appropriate amount of water to promote even growth among the plants.

[0045] A plurality of openings 15 are placed on the top of the growth tubes 10. These openings may be different sizes or shapes depending on the plant that is being grown. A growth cup 20 is placed in the opening on the growth tubes. The seed of the plant is placed in the growth tube and placed in the opening. In order to ensure that the seed does not leave the growth cup material such as rockwool may be used to encapsulate the seed. No specific means to house the seed is claimed in this application.

[0046] Substrate material 35 is placed in the interior of the growth tubes 10. As the water is circulated through the system, some of the water will be left on the substrate material. This will leave the substrate material damp and adds area for the roots to grow into in a healthy manner however it can drain to ensure its not too damp to affect the healthy growth of the plant. Different materials may be used depending on the specific needs of the plant.

[0047] On either end of each of the growth tubes is a grate 40, that has a plurality of holes into which water from the system can freely move back and forth within the growth tubes and the rest of the system. Perforations on the irrigation tubes 30 are also included to insure even water distribution to the plants. The circulation of water will be controlled by a timer. Additionally, the nutrient, which may be added to water is also dependent upon the plant to be grown.

[0048] The water level should be maintained within an ideal range and a water level indicator 50 can easily reveal the amount of water in the reservoir and quickly alert the user regarding the level of water in the reservoir. Additionally, a drain 45 can be used to drain some or all of the water contained in the reservoir. No specific water level indicator or drain is claimed as part of this invention.

[0049] The grates 40 are placed in the interior of the growth tube to prevent the substrate material and/or the root structure of the plant from traveling down the piping to interfere with the operation of the pump. No specific grate is contemplated but the grates should allow the free flow of water in the system while at the same time blocking the substrate and root structures from interfering the operation of the pump or clogging the lines.

[0050] The system may also be expandable using a series of plastic and silicon expansion pieces 60. This expansion may occur horizontally as well as vertically as depicted in FIG. 1, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. At the end of the flexible feeder tube a threaded fitting 80 is placed in order to join another feeder tube to another section of feeder tube using a flexible pipe 75. A straight coupler 90 is used to connect the original growing tube to the additional growing tube. A cap 85 is used to seal the end of the irrigation tube.

[0051] Additionally, with some plants who are climbing plants such as tomatoes, clipon pieces (not depicted) onto which the climbing plant will adhere will be attached to the cylindrical growth tubes. These clip-ons, which are not meant to be a permanent part of the device can easily be removed if needed by the consumer. Additionally, if the expansion of the system is horizontal support mechanisms may be included as depicted in FIG. 6.