Environmentally controlled display cabinet

• US 5,283,974 A
• Filed: 05/09/1991
• Issued: 02/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David B. Graf Jr
• Original Assignee: David B. Graf Jr
• Inventors: Graf, David B. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britts, Ramon S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Downs, Joanne C.
• Application Number:
  US07/697,888
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 47/60 E C, 47/17 E C
• US Class Current: 47/60
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/00 Cultivation in receptacles, forcing-frames or greenhouses of mushrooms A01G18/00; soilless cultivation A01G31/00; Edging for beds, lawn or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/16 Dismountable or portable greenhouses ; Greenhouses with sliding roofs
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/25 Greenhouse technology, e.g. cooling systems therefor

Abstract

An environmentally controlled cabinet is provided for maintaining and displaying plants of various types indoors. A fresh water supply, cooling system and exhaust and ventilation fans are contained in the cabinet, so that the entire system is portable. The cabinet further includes a computerized control system, which is responsive to user input commands for controlling various environmental functions, such as plant watering, temperature, humidity, air circulation and lighting. The ambient conditions within the cabinet are programmable for daytime, nighttime and seasonal cycles. The ambient temperature within the growing chamber can be maintained at a relatively constant level, or alternatively, a temperature differential can be maintained within the growing chamber to accommodate various types of plants which thrive under different temperature conditions.

Claims

1. A portable cabinet for storing plants, comprising:

an enclosed chamber for storing the plants;

control means located in said cabinet and responsive to input commands for automatically controlling selected environmental conditions in said chamber according to a predetermined set of program instructions, said environmental conditions including the temperature of the chamber;

input means for entering input commands into said control means, said input commands indicating desired environmental conditions to be maintained in said chamber;

air moving means adjacent one side of said chamber for directing a substantially lateral flow of air toward an opposite side of said chamber;

air cooling means located outside said chamber;

first air duct means communicating between said opposite side of said chamber and said air cooling means for directing at least a portion of the air directed toward said opposite side of said chamber by said air moving means to said air cooling means; and

second air duct means communicating between said opposite side of said chamber and said air cooling means for directing cooled air form said air cooling means into said chamber adjacent said opposite side of said chamber, the cooled air having a lower temperature than the temperature of the air directed toward said opposite side of said chamber by said air moving means, whereby a temperature differential is maintainable between said one side of said chamber and said opposite side of said chamber.

2. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein said air cooling means includes blower means for maintaining air circulation through said air cooling means, said blower means being operable for drawing air through said first air duct means into said air cooling means and for blowing cooled air through said second air duct means.

3. The cabinet of claim 2 wherein said first and second air duct means terminate at respective first ends thereof at an air manifold adjacent said opposite side of said chamber and at respective second ends thereof, opposite from the respective first ends thereof, at respective suction and discharge sides of said air cooling means, said first air duct means terminating at a central portion of said air manifold, said second air duct means being divided into two branches adjacent said manifold, said branches terminating at respective opposite sides of said manifold, such that said substantially lateral flow of air opposes the flow of cooled air from said opposite sides of said manifold toward said one side of said chamber.

4. A portable cabinet for storing plants, comprising:

an enclosed chamber for storing the plants;

control mans located in said cabinet and responsive to input commands for automatically controlling selected environmental conditions in said chamber according to a predetermined set of program instructions;

input means for entering input commands into said control means, said input commands indicating desired environmental conditions to be maintained in said chamber;

irrigating means for irrigating the plants in said chamber; and

collecting means located below said chamber for collecting material flowing downwardly from said chamber, said irrigating means including a storage tank for storing irrigation liquid and liquid transport means for transporting irrigation liquid from said storage tank to said chamber, said collecting means including a collection tank and means for evacuating the contents of said collection tank, said control means including means for monitoring the volume of irrigation liquid in said storage tank and the volume of material in said collection tank, said monitoring means being responsive to a first condition indicating that the volume of irrigation liquid in said storage tank is below a predetermined minimum volume or a second condition indicating that the volume of material in said collection tank is above a predetermined maximum volume for automatically disabling said liquid transport means.

5. A portable cabinet for storing plants, comprising:

an enclosed chamber for storing the plants;

control means located in said cabinet and responsive to input commands for automatically controlling selected environmental conditions in said chamber according to a predetermined set of program instructions, said environmental conditions including the humidity of said chamber;

input means for entering input commands into said control means, said input commands indicating desired environmental conditions to be maintained in said chamber;

humidifying means for humidifying said chamber;

humidity sensing means for sensing the humidity of said chamber;

air circulation means for circulating air in said chamber;

ventilating means communicating between said chamber and an environment exterior to said cabinet for ventilating said chamber;

said control means being responsive to said humidity sensing means for controlling said humidifying means to maintain the humidity of said chamber within a predetermined range, said control means being operable to activate said air circulation means for a first predetermined time interval in response to the humidity of said chamber being below a predetermined minimum limit, if the air circulation means is not already in operation, and to activate said humidifying means for a second predetermined time interval if the humidity of said chamber remains below said predetermined minimum limit after said air circulation means has been operated for a period of time at least equal to said first predetermined time interval, said humidifying means being selectively activated and deactivated according to a predetermined iterative cycle until either the humidity of said chamber is within said predetermined range or the number of iterative cycles equals a prescribed maximum number, said control means being further operable to activate said air circulation means for a third predetermined time interval in response to the humidity of said chamber being equal to or greater than a predetermined maximum limit, if said air circulation means is not already in operation, and to activate said ventilating means for a fourth predetermined time interval, if the humidity of said chamber remains above said predetermined maximum limit after said air circulation means has been operated for a period of time at least equal to said third predetermined time interval, said ventilating means being selectively activated and deactivated according to a predetermined iterative cycle until either the humidity of said chamber is within said predetermined range or the number of iterative cycles equals a prescribed maximum number.

6. The cabinet of claim 5 wherein said humidifying means includes means located beneath said chamber for emitting a relatively fine spray of water and said air circulation means includes air moving means located in a top part of said chamber for drawing at least a portion of the water spray emitted by said humidifying means upwardly through said chamber.

7. A portable cabinet for storing plants, comprising:

an enclosed chamber for storing the plants;

control means located in said cabinet and responsive to input commands for automatically controlling selected environmental conditions in said chamber according to a predetermined set of program instructions, said environmental conditions including the temperature of the chamber;

input means for entering input commands into said control means, said input commands indicating desired environmental conditions to be maintained in said chamber;

cooling means for cooling said chamber;

temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of said chamber, said control means being responsive to said temperature sensing means for selectively enabling and disabling said cooling means to maintain the temperature of said chamber within a predetermined range according to said input commands, said control means being operable to control said cooling means to increase the temperature of said chamber at a predetermined rate in response to the temperature of said chamber being below a predetermined minimum limit until the temperature of said chamber is within said predetermined range and to decrease the temperature of said chamber at a predetermined rate in response to the temperature of said chamber being above a predetermined maximum limit until the temperature of said chamber is within said predetermined range; and

illuminating means for illuminating said chamber, said control means being responsive to said input commands for selectively enabling and disabling said illuminating means at predetermined times and being further responsive to the temperature of said chamber for automatically disabling said illuminating means when the temperature of said chamber exceeds a first predetermined temperature for a first predetermined time interval and for automatically enabling said illuminating means when the temperature of said chamber is less than or equal to a second predetermined temperature, which is less than said first predetermined temperature, for a second predetermined time interval.