CN107637499A - Tray assembly for cultivating soilless culture plants - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a tray assembly for cultivating soilless culture plants, including a main tray having a bottom surface and a side wall connected to each other and an open top, the bottom surface having a planar portion and a slope portion, the planar portion being located lower than the slope portion, the planar portion having at least one opening for both inflow and drainage of water. The tray assembly provided by the invention can enable the liquid discharge process to be more thorough, and is beneficial to the growth of plants.

Description

Tray assembly for growing soilless plants

technical field

The present invention relates generally to the field of soilless cultivation of plants, and more particularly, to a tray assembly for growing soilless cultivation of plants.

Background technique

The commonly used devices for cultivating soilless culture plants in the prior art are mostly tubular structures or disc structures. However, some metabolites and residues produced by plants are easy to accumulate at the bottom of the device, and it is difficult to completely discharge them. It may affect the water quality, easily lead to the occurrence of plant root rot, and is very easy to breed diseases, so it is not conducive to the growth of plants. .

Moreover, due to the tubular structure or the device for cultivating plants without soil, it usually needs to inject a large amount of water or nutrient solution into the tube or disc to meet the needs of plant growth. Therefore, the overall weight is relatively large, and the requirements for the strength of the device are relatively high.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for a tray assembly for cultivating plants without soil that can solve or alleviate at least one of the above-mentioned problems.

Contents of the invention

In order to solve at least one of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a tray assembly for cultivating soilless plants, including a main tray, the main tray has a bottom surface and side walls connected to each other, and the top is open, and the bottom surface It has a plane portion and a slope portion, the plane portion is lower than the slope portion, and at least one opening is provided on the plane portion for both water intake and drainage.

By adopting the above-mentioned structure, the discharge process of waste can be made more thorough, which is beneficial to the growth of plants.

Preferably, at least one overflow hole for overflowing water is further provided on the planar portion.

Preferably, the bottom surface has one plane portion and two slope portions, and the two slope portions are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the plane portion.

Preferably, the angle at which the two sloped portions are inclined relative to the plane portion is 1-5 degrees.

Preferably, edges are further provided on at least two side walls of the main tray.

Preferably, a drain cover is provided on the opening.

Preferably, at least one support member is arranged in the main tray, the support member has an upper end plane and a lower surface, the lower surface is arranged on a sloped portion and/or a planar portion in the main tray.

Preferably, the support member includes at least two ribs, the at least two ribs are respectively arranged on the two slope parts in the main tray, and each rib extends along the direction in which the slope parts are inclined. Towards the planar portion, the upper end planes of the at least two ribs are at the same level.

Preferably, at least two ribs are arranged on each of the sloped portions, and all the ribs on the same sloped portion are parallel to each other and spaced from each other.

Preferably, the support member comprises at least one rib, the lower surface of which is arranged on a planar portion within the main tray.

Preferably, the support member includes at least two ribs and at least one rib, the at least two ribs are respectively arranged on two slope parts in the main tray, each rib is along the slope The partly inclined direction extends towards the planar portion, the lower surface of the rib is arranged on the planar portion in the main tray, and the upper end plane of the rib is parallel to the upper end plane of the rib.

Preferably, the ribs and the ribs can be integrally formed with the main pallet or manufactured separately.

Preferably, the tray assembly includes a sub-tray and/or a sponge placed on the support member.

Preferably, under the bottom surface of the main tray, the opening is connected with a fluid input and output pipeline, and the fluid input and output pipeline is provided with a valve.

Preferably, a first fluid output pipeline is connected in parallel to the valved part of the fluid input and output pipeline, and a one-way valve is arranged on the first fluid output pipeline, and the one-way valve is set to allow A portion of the fluid flowing out of the main tray from the aperture passes through the one-way valve.

Preferably, the overflow hole is connected to a second fluid output pipe, and the fluid in the main tray flows into the second fluid output pipe through the overflow hole.

Preferably, the overflow hole has a portion extending upward from the inside of the main tray, and the upper end surface of the extended portion is lower than the plane where the upper edge of the side wall of the main tray is located.

Preferably, a pipeline assembly and a lighting system are also arranged below the bottom surface of the main tray.

Description of drawings

Further details and advantages of the invention emerge from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tray assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a tray assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 3a and 3b are detailed views of openings and overflow holes according to the present invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a pallet assembly with sub-trays according to the present invention;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a tray assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

6a and 6b are schematic side sectional views of a tray assembly according to the present invention, respectively;

Fig. 7 is a schematic view below the bottom surface of the tray assembly according to the present invention.

detailed description

Various embodiments of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. It should be understood that the embodiments described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings are only exemplary, and are intended to explain the present invention rather than limit the present invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tray assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The shown tray assembly includes a main tray 101, the main tray 101 has a bottom surface and side walls connected to each other, and is open at the top, the bottom surface has a plane portion and a slope portion, the plane portion is lower than the slope portion, and there is an existing At least one opening 102 for water intake and drainage.

In order to allow the liquid to drain from the main tray 101 without accumulating on the bottom surface, in this embodiment, the bottom surface of the main tray 101 is designed as a non-planar shape, that is, a shape with a low center and a high periphery. The shape of the main tray 101 can be generally square, circular, fan-shaped or other shapes. The main tray can have chamfers on all sides. Due to the different shapes of the main tray 101, the planar portion and the sloped portion of the bottom surface can adopt different configurations.

In one embodiment, the main tray 101 is substantially square and has a flat portion 104 and two sloped portions 105 on the bottom surface of the main tray 101 , the flat portion 104 is lower than the sloped portions 105 . An opening 102 is provided in the planar portion 104 . The two slope parts 105 are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the plane part 104 . Two connecting lines formed at the junctions of the two sloped portions 105 and the planar portion 104 are substantially parallel. The inclination angle of the two slope parts 105 relative to the plane part 104 can be 1-10 degrees, preferably 1-5 degrees. Two opposite side walls of the main tray 101 are rectangular, and the other two opposite side walls are trapezoidal. It should be understood that the shape of the side walls of the main tray 101 changes as the bottom surface changes. The longitudinal extension heights of the two side walls connected to the upper end of the slope portion 105 can be the same, while the remaining two side walls can be connected with the slope side of the slope portion 105, and their longitudinal extension heights can be as high as the slope portion 105. varies with the sloped sides.

In another embodiment, there may be more than one inclined portion on the bottom surface of the main tray, for example four. The four sloped portions are arranged around the planar portion and connected to each other. Each ramp portion is connected to a corresponding side wall. This is convenient for enlarging the area of the tray and is more conducive to the accumulation of liquid to the bottom surface of the main tray.

In another embodiment, where the main tray is generally circular or sector-shaped (not shown), the bottom surface of the main tray may employ a flat portion and a sloped portion.

Preferably, edges 103 are further provided on at least two side walls of the main tray 101 . In actual use, the edge 103 can be placed on the shelf to fix the tray assembly. In FIG. 1, there are outwardly extending edges 103 on two opposite rectangular side walls. Alternatively, the edge 103 can also be provided on the other two opposite side walls.

Figure 2 shows a tray assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention, the tray assembly has a main tray 201 with interconnected bottom and side walls and an open top, the bottom has a planar portion and a sloped portion, the planar The part is lower than the inclined part, and there is at least one opening 102 on the planar part for both water intake and drainage. There is also at least one overflow hole 202 for overflowing water.

In one embodiment, the bottom surface of the main tray 201 has a plane part and two slope parts, the two slope parts are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the plane part, and the opening 102 and the overflow hole 202 are arranged on the plane part.

In another embodiment, the overflow hole 202 can also be arranged on the sloped portion of the bottom surface.

In another embodiment, a drain cover 203 is provided on the opening 102 .

As shown in Figure 3a, 3b. Under the teaching of the present invention, the opening hole and the overflow hole 202 are different. The hole is substantially flush with the flat part of the bottom surface (not shown), so as to facilitate the water to be drained completely, and a drain cover 203 may be provided on the hole. The overflow hole 202 has a portion extending upward from the inner side of the bottom surface of the main tray. The upper surface of the extension part is higher than the opening 102 and lower than the plane where the upper edge of the side wall of the main tray is located. The specific height of the overflow hole 202 can be adjusted according to the desired water level.

The purpose of arranging the overflow hole 202 is to prevent the water level in the main tray from being too high or even overflowing. Therefore, when the water level is higher than the height of the overflow hole 202, the liquid in the main tray flows out from the overflow hole 202, thereby limiting the water level in the main tray to a certain height, which is more conducive to the growth of plants.

Details of the drain cover 203 are shown in Figure 3b. The drain cover 203 has a top surface and several pillars, and several elongated holes are opened on the top surface. The struts are connected to the top surface and are located below the top surface. The pillars are arranged at intervals around the top surface and are all connected to the bottom surface of the main tray. The drain cover 203 covers the opening 102 . Such an arrangement can not only enable liquid and solid impurities to be discharged from the gaps in the pillars of the drain cover 203 and the holes on the top surface, but also can filter larger substances to prevent pipelines from being blocked.

In another embodiment, the tray assembly 401 further includes two sub-trays 403 , as shown in FIG. 4 . The two sub-trays 403 are respectively placed on the inclined part of the bottom surface of the main tray, and the opening 102 and the overflow hole 202 are exposed between the two sub-trays 403 . The side walls of the sub-tray 403 extend horizontally outward to form the edge 402 of the sub-tray 403 . The side walls of the main tray support the three edges 402 of the sub-trays 403, thereby retaining the trays within the main tray. A plurality of small holes are distributed on the bottom of the sub-tray 403 for placing or fixing plants.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a tray assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The tray assembly has a main tray, the main tray has a bottom surface and side walls connected to each other, and the top is open, the bottom surface has a plane part and a slope part, the plane part is lower than the slope part, and the plane part has a At least one opening 102 for drainage and at least one overflow hole 202 for overflow. At least one support member is arranged in the main tray, the support member has an upper planar end and a lower surface, the lower surface is arranged on the sloped portion and/or the planar portion in the main tray.

In one embodiment, the tray assembly includes a sub-tray and/or a sponge placed on a support member. A sponge can be placed in the sub-tray.

The purpose of arranging support components in the main tray includes but is not limited to the following points: one is to provide stable support for the components (such as sub-trays, sponges, etc.) placed on the bottom surface of the main tray; the other is to reinforce the tray components , making the tray assembly more stable as a whole; third, because the supporting parts protrude upward, they will occupy a certain space inside the main tray, so it can meet the needs of plant growth without a lot of water consumption, by reducing the amount of water in the main tray The volume of the contained liquid can reduce the weight of the tray assembly.

In another embodiment, the support member includes at least two ribs 501, the at least two ribs 501 are respectively arranged on the two slope parts in the main tray, and each rib 501 is along the direction in which the slope parts are inclined. Extending towards the plane portion, the upper end planes of at least two ribs 501 are at the same level.

In another embodiment, the support member comprises a plurality of ribs 501, at least two ribs 501 are arranged on each inclined portion. Each rib is wedge-shaped, has an upper end plane and a lower surface, the lower surface is inclined and extends toward the plane portion along the direction of inclination of the inclined portion of the main tray. All the ribs 501 on the same slope portion are parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other. Liquid can flow between the gaps between the ribs 501 . Preferably, the number of ribs 501 on each inclined portion is five to fifteen, more preferably ten.

In another embodiment, the main tray is circular or fan-shaped, and each rib 501 extends along the inclined direction of the inclined portion of the main tray toward the flat portion.

In another embodiment, the support member includes at least one rib 502 arranged on the planar portion of the bottom surface, the rib 502 is square, and the upper end plane and the lower surface of the rib 502 are both plane. The width of the rib 502 is equal to or smaller than the width of the plane part of the bottom surface of the main pallet, and the length is less than the length of the plane part. The area of the rib 502 is smaller than the area of the plane portion of the bottom surface of the main tray.

Preferably, one side of the rib 502 is connected to a trapezoidal side wall of the main tray, and the opening 102 and/or the overflow hole 202 may be located on the same side of the rib 502 . Alternatively, the rib 502 may also be located in the middle of the planar portion without being connected to any side wall, and the opening 102 and/or the overflow hole 202 may be located on the same side of the rib 502, or may be located on both sides of the rib 502 respectively. . Alternatively, the planar portion of the bottom surface has two or more ribs 502 , and the opening 102 and/or the overflow hole 202 may be located between the two ribs 502 .

The ribs 501 and the ribs 502 can be used alone or at the same time. For example, in another embodiment, the support member includes at least two ribs 501 arranged on the sloped portion of the bottom surface, and at least one rib 502 arranged on the planar portion of the bottom surface (as shown in FIG. 5 ). The length of each rib 501 is less than or equal to the length of the slope portion of the bottom surface, and the width of the rib plate 502 is less than or equal to the width of the plane portion of the bottom surface. That is, the ribs and ribs leave a certain gap, so that the liquid can flow freely. The upper end planes of the ribs 502 are basically on the same plane as the upper end planes of all the ribs 501 . Preferably, the plane is lower than the upper surface of the overflow hole 202 .

The ribs 501 and ribs 502 can be integrally formed with the main pallet, or can be made separately. For example, if plastic materials are used, the ribs 501 and ribs 502 are integrally formed with the main pallet through injection molding; if ribs are used, they are made separately and then connected to each other. Knots, riveting, etc. The ribs 501 and/or the ribs 502 can be made of the same material as the main pallet, which can be metal, plastic, polymer and other materials or a combination of these materials.

In another embodiment, the rib plate 501 and the rib plate 502 are solid, they are manufactured separately from the main pallet, and then connected together by welding. It can be clearly seen from the side wall of the main pallet shown in FIG. 5 that the ribs 501 and the ribs 502 constitute a part of the bottom surface of the main pallet. The relationship between the various parts of the bottom surface of the main tray can be seen more clearly from the schematic side sectional view shown in FIG. 6a. It can be understood that, as shown in FIG. 6 b , it is also possible to keep the part covered by the ribs 501 and the ribs 502 on the bottom surface of the main tray. Figures 6a and 6b are schematic diagrams only, not drawn to scale, and should not be construed as limitations on size and angle of inclination. Such a structure can reduce the weight of the main pallet, strengthen the main pallet, and greatly reduce the need for water.

It should be appreciated that the shape of the support member is not limited to the ribs 501 and ribs 502 . All forms of support can be used. For example wedges, squares, circles, bars, triangles, etc. or combinations thereof. The shape, size, number, and placement of the supporting components are not limited to those disclosed in the specification.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view below the bottom surface of the tray assembly according to the present invention. In one embodiment, a pipeline assembly 601 and a lighting system 602 are further arranged under the bottom surface of the main tray.

In one embodiment, the pipeline assembly 601 includes a fluid input and output pipeline and a valve 603 disposed thereon. Below the bottom surface of the main tray, the opening 102 is connected with the fluid input and output pipeline, and the valve 603 provided on the fluid input and output pipeline can be used for both water intake and drainage.

In one embodiment, the pipeline assembly 601 further includes a first fluid output pipeline and a one-way valve 604 disposed thereon. The first fluid output pipeline is connected in parallel with the part provided with the valve 603 on the fluid input and output pipeline, and the first fluid output pipeline is provided with a one-way valve 604. A portion of the fluid flows through the one-way valve 604 .

In one embodiment, the pipe assembly 601 includes a second fluid output pipe 605, which is connected to the overflow hole 202 and used for water overflow.

According to the present invention, tray assemblies can be stacked on top of each other, and can also be placed on shelves of different heights. In order to meet the lighting requirements for plant growth, in a stacked state or under, the upper tray assembly should provide an illumination system 602 for the lower tray assembly. Optionally, an illumination system 602 may also be provided on the tray assembly. Preferably, the number of lighting systems 602 for each tray assembly is one to ten, more preferably two to four. Preferably, the lighting system 602 is a strip lighting system placed side by side.

Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment (or an example)" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described for the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable combination and/or subcombination in one or more embodiments. Additionally, it should be understood that the drawings provided herein are for illustrative purposes only and that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

The above description of illustrated embodiments of the invention, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limiting to the precise forms disclosed. Rather, the specific embodiments and implementations of the invention are presented for purposes of illustration, and various equivalent modifications may be made without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. Indeed, it should be understood that particular parameter values, ranges, etc. are for explanatory purposes and that other values may be used in other embodiments and implementations in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

These modifications can be made to the embodiments of the invention in light of the above detailed description. The terms used in the claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and claims. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be determined entirely by the claims, which are to be construed in accordance with the legal principles of claim interpretation. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims (10)

1. A tray assembly for cultivating soilless plants, comprising a main tray, the main tray has a bottom surface and a side wall connected to each other, and the top is open, it is characterized in that the bottom surface has a plane part and a slope part, The plane part is located lower than the inclined plane part, and there is at least one opening on the plane part for both water intake and drainage. 2. The tray assembly for cultivating soilless plants according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one overflow hole for overflowing water is further provided on the planar portion. 3. The tray assembly for cultivating soilless plants according to claim 2, wherein the bottom surface has one planar portion and two inclined portions, and the two inclined portions are symmetrically distributed between both sides of the planar portion. 4. The tray assembly for cultivating soilless plants according to claim 3, wherein at least one support member is arranged in the main tray, the support member has an upper end plane and a lower surface, and the lower part Surfaces are arranged on sloped portions and/or planar portions within the master tray. 5. The tray assembly for cultivating soilless plants according to claim 4, wherein the support member comprises at least two ribs, and the at least two ribs are respectively arranged in the main tray On the two sloping parts, each rib extends toward the planar part along the direction in which the sloping part inclines, and the upper end planes of the at least two ribs are on the same horizontal plane. 6. The tray assembly for cultivating soilless plants according to claim 5, characterized in that at least two ribs are arranged on each of the slope parts, and all the ribs on the same slope part are parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other. 7. The tray assembly for cultivating soilless plants according to claim 4, wherein the supporting member comprises at least one rib, the lower surface of the rib is arranged on a plane in the main tray partly on. 8. The tray assembly for cultivating soilless plants according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, under the bottom surface of the main tray, the opening is connected to the fluid input and output pipeline, and the The fluid input and output pipelines are provided with valves. 9. The tray assembly for cultivating soilless plants according to claim 8, wherein a first fluid output pipeline is connected in parallel to the part provided with a valve in the fluid input and output pipeline, and the first fluid output pipeline is A one-way valve is provided on the fluid output conduit, and the one-way valve is configured to allow a portion of the fluid flowing out of the main tray from the opening to flow through the one-way valve. 10. The tray assembly for cultivating soilless plants according to any one of claims 2-6, wherein the overflow hole is connected to the second fluid output pipe, and the fluid in the main tray passes through The overflow hole flows into the second fluid output pipe.