Irrigation assembly of potted plants

• US 5,813,605 A
• Filed: 05/12/1997
• Issued: 09/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tsung-Li Chou
• Original Assignee: Tsung-Li Chou
• Inventors: Chou, Tsung-Li
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Lesley D.
• Application Number:
  US08/854,835
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 239/63, 239/64, 239/67-70, 137/78.3, 47/48.5, 47/79, 47/81
• US Class Current: 239/64
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 27/003 Controls for self-acting watering devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/189 Soil moisture sensing

Abstract

The present invention relates to an irrigation assembly for potted plants including a housing for containing batteries and a motor therein with a drain hole formed on one side of the housing. A water pump extends from the bottom of the housing to extend into a container for pumping the water into the housing through a water conduit and discharging the water from the drain hole. A water outlet device is connected to the drain hole of the housing through a water discharge pipe. A control circuit PCB has two rotary switches for setting a fixed-humidity mode or a fixed-amount mode and a control circuit for controlling the electrical conduction opportunity of the motor formed thereon. A humidity sensing rod is connected to the housing by electric wires and is formed in a long strip with a plurality of electrode contacts being formed thereon, and being directly inserted into the soil of the potted plants. The moisture inside the soil can be detected by the humidity sensing rod and is compared with the set humidity value, and proceeds timely water supplying when insufficient moisture is detected.

Claims

1. An irrigation assembly for plants, comprising:

a housing for containing batteries and a motor therein with a drain hole defined in one side of said housing;

a water pumping means extending from a bottom portion of said housing to a container, said water pumping means pumping water contained in said container into said housing through said water conduit and discharging said water from said drain hole;

a water outlet means connected to said drain hole of said housing through a water discharge pipe;

a control circuit-printed circuit board means with rotary switches for setting a fixed-humidity/fixed-amount selection and a control circuit for controlling the electrical conduction opportunity of said motor formed thereon; and

a humidity sensing means connected to said housing by electric wires in a waterproof cable, said humidity sensing means formed in a long strip, having a plurality of electrode contacts formed at various positions on a front surface and a rear surface thereof, and being directly inserted into soil of said potted plants.

3. An irrigation assembly for plants as recited in claim 1, wherein said control circuit-printed circuit board means further has a test key and an indicator light installed thereon.

4. An irrigation assembly for plants as recited in claim 1, wherein said housing has a plurality of spring blades formed therein for confining said control circuit-printed circuit board means.

5. An irrigation assembly for plants as recited in claim 1, wherein said water outlet means is coupled with a spike for inserting into soil.

6. An irrigation assembly for plants as recited in claim 1, wherein a water conducing chamber is formed at a corner of said housing for adapting a flow between said water pumping means and said water outlet means.

7. An irrigation assembly for plants as recited in claim 1, wherein a top of said housing is covered by a waterproof cover.

8. An irrigation assembly for plants as recited in claim 1, wherein a long strip of conducting film is formed on one surface of said humidity sensing means and a plurality of spaced separate conducting films are formed on another surface of said humidity sensing means.

9. An irrigation assembly for plants as recited in claim 8, wherein said conducting film is substantially a layer of carbon film.

10. An irrigation assembly for plants as recited in claim 8, wherein one end of each of said spaced separate conducting films is connected to a respective first end of one of a plurality of resistors in series and a respective second end of each of the resistors is connected in parallel to form a single terminal.

2. An irrigation assembly for plants as recited in claimed 1, wherein said control circuit-printed circuit board means is pivotally connected to said housing internally and permits easy access to batteries therein for easy replacement thereof.