Plant soil moisture level-signaling device for household and commercial use

• US 4,268,824 A
• Filed: 04/13/1979
• Issued: 05/19/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Reed E. Phillips
• Original Assignee: Reed E. Phillips
• Inventors: Phillips, Reed E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, Sr., John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Myer, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US06/029,766
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 340/602, 340/604, 340/605, 340/620, 324/65 R, 324/65 P, 73/40, 73/40.3, 73/73, 73/304 R, 200/61.04, 200/61.05, 200/61.06
• US Class Current: 340/604
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture

Abstract

A battery-powered device useful in supervising the progressive loss over a time interval of moisture in the soil of a household plant from an initial growth-promoting level to a diminished level at which replenishment is required, wherein the device has a continuously inserted, operative position in the plant soil throughout said time interval of supervision, and yet does not require frequent change of its powering batteries.

Claims

1. A battery powered visual-signaling device for use in normally moist household plant soil for indicating after an interval of time the loss of moisture therefrom to an extent requiring replenishment, said device comprising a battery-operated signaling light means for switching from a normally "off" operating mode to a fully "on" operating mode thereof when the moisture content of the soil has decreased to a predeterminately dry condition such that moisture replenishment is required, a moisture-sensing probe extending in depending relation from said device having an operative inserted position in said plant soil continuously for the duration of said time interval such that initially said normally high moisture content of said plant soil is electrically effective to cause a low resistance condition of said probe and subsequently the gradual diminishment of said moisture content of said plant soil causes a corresponding increase in the probe resistance over a pre-determined range, a fixed resistance of a selected value electrically connected in parallel relation directly across said probe for providing a combined resistance of said probe and fixed resistance which varies as the moisture content of the plant soil correspondingly varies between said high and diminished moisture contents, and a battery-powered control circuit electrically connected with said combined resistance and responsive thereto to produce said "on" operating mode in said signaling light means only in said increased resistance condition of said moisture-sensing probe, the variation of said combined resistance being less than the variation in resistance of said probe alone so as to enabling actuation of said control circuit for relatively abruptly switching said signaling light means between said "on" and "off" operating modes at a desired plant soil moisture content, such that said control circuit requires a minimum of operating battery power in said "off" operating mode of said signaling light means so as to thereby contribute to a more effective duration of operational use of said device and enable continued use of a powering battery over an extended time interval despite the continuous operative inserted condition of said device whereby said device is continuously monitoring and sensing the moisture content of the plant soil to control the actuation of said control circuit for switching said signaling light means.

2. A household plant soil moisture level signaling device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said signaling light means includes a light emitting diode of the type effectively electrically powered by a 1.5 or greater voltage battery.

3. A visual signaling device according to claim 1 wherein said control circuit includes first and second transistor means, said first means having a base, an emitter and a collector and said moisture sensing probe and said fixed resistance being connected between the base and emitter thereof for predeterminately producing an output at the collector as said combined resistance varies with the moisture content of the soil, and said second transistor means having a base, an emitter and a collector, the collector of said first means being connected to the base of said second means for actuating said second means and producing an enabling output at the collector thereof in response to an output signal of said first transistor means, and said signaling light means being connected in series relation to the collector of said second means and being relatively abruptly switched from its "off" to its "on" condition by said enabling output of the second transistor means when the moisture content of the soil has decreased to a predeterminately dry condition along a continuum of values of soil moisture content.