PURE-Grown totally concealed clean room vegetable factory

• US 20120144740A1
• Filed: 02/24/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure-Grow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pure-Grow Incorporated
• Inventors: Igarashi, Larry Y.
• Granted Patent: US 8,448,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 47/62.R
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 31/06 Hydroponic culture on racks or in stacked containers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/21 Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures

Abstract

Plant roots are moved by various means and sometimes exposed to air within a clean room system of plant production. A tub and lid system of plant containment and plant care may be integrated into a rack system which may be contained within a clean room environment devoid of bugs, environmental deviations, pollution and other contaminates found in a typical organic system of the prior art.

Claims

1. A contained growing system, the system comprising:

a) a grow tub lining;

b) a grow lid covering the grow tub, and the grow lid having a plurality of voids, the voids suitable for allowing plant life to grow through the voids;

c) a racking structure, with the rack structure having a side reflector providing means of inspecting lights;

d) a light system;

e) a drain pipe system with “

B”

section for sometimes containing nutrient water within tub and with an “

A”

section to sometimes drain nutrient water within the upper level of a tub;

f) an inflow pipe system sometimes delivering water containing nutrients; and

g) the drain pipe system and the inflow pipe system capable of filling the grow tub lining with water containing nutrients and draining the grow tub to levels causing plants roots to be exposed to air and causing plant roots to move within the grow tub.

2. The contained growing system of claim 1 wherein a grow tub lining comprises a continuous tub structure.

3. A growing system, the system comprising:

a) a plurality of racking systems;

b) a plurality of grow tubs fitted with grow lids, with each grow lid having voids sufficient for allowing plant life to grow through the voids;

c) a pipe system delivering water to the plurality of grow tubs;

d) an overflow drain system comprising a lower drain block “

B” and

an upper drain block “

A”

, with the upper drain block “

A”

placed on top of the lower drain block “

B”

, such that roots contained within the grow tub are sometimes exposed to air upon use of upper drain block “

A” and

that use of upper drain block “

A”

causes roots to move within the tub;

e) a lighting system providing artificial light to one or more of the grow tubs;

f) a filtration system filtering drained water and returning water for delivery to the grow tubs; and

g) a side reflector system, contained within the racking systems, the light reflector system allowing visual inspection of lighting components.

4. The growing system of claim 3 contained within a closed structure, the closed structure comprising:

a) a germination room;

b) a tank and circulation room; and

c) an air shower room having sticky mats.

5. The growing system and closed structure of claim 4 within the closed structure is to be a mobile structure capable of being towed or shipped as a shipping container.

6. A method of growing plants, the method comprising:

a) using a plurality of racking systems;

b) using a plurality of grow tubs fitted with grow lids, with each grow lid having voids sufficient for allowing plant life to grow through the voids;

c) using a pipe system to deliver water to the plurality of grow tubs;

d) using an overflow drain system comprising a lower drain block “

B” and

an upper drain block “

A”

, with the upper drain block “

A”

placed on top of the lower drain block “

B”

, such that roots contained within the grow tub are sometimes exposed to air upon use of upper drain block “

A” and

that use of upper drain block “

A”

causes roots to move within the tub;

e) using a lighting system providing artificial light to one or more of the grow tubs;

f) using a filtration system filtering drained water and returning water for delivery to the grow tubs; and

g) using a side reflector system, contained within the racking systems, the light reflector system allowing visual inspection of lighting components.

7. The method of claim 6 using a closed structure to protect plants from outside elements.

8. The method of claim 7 using an air shower to clean people who maintain the growing plants.

9. The method of claim 8 using clean suits to clothe people who maintain the growing plants.