Lighting system for use with a vertical growing column
First Claim
1. A cultivation system for cultivating plants in an indoor environment, said cultivation system comprising:
- at least one vertical growing column having a plurality of planting units of substantially similar construction, each of said planting units having a center column for reception within said center column of another of said planting units, a pair of lateral receptacles which extend from opposed sides of said center column and a front wall and a rear wall spaced from said front wall in a parallel orientation, said lateral receptacles defining an opening for receiving plants, growing media and plant nourishment, each said lateral receptacle being in fluid communication with said center column to provide a continuous volume of plant growing medium extending from a first one of said lateral receptacles to another of said lateral receptacles, said front and rear walls being identical in shape, said front and rear walls including a rectangular portion and oppositely disposed wings;
at least one sulfur light source; and
an apparatus for receiving and disposing said sulfur light source about said at least one growing column such that said light source provides sulfur light to plants disposed in said vertical growing column, regardless of position therein, thereby enhancing the quality and volume of the product produced by the plants disposed in said growing column.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A lighting system for use with a vertical growing column (10) for optimally growing a plurality of plants in an indoor environment and enhancing the tonnage per unit area or per unit volume of product harvestable from plants positioned in these columns (10). The lighting system for use with a vertical growing column (10) includes a vertical growing column (11) having a plurality of modular planting units (12), a lighting system (104) and an apparatus (108) for carrying the lighting system (104). Each of the modular planting units (12) includes a center column (14) having a pair of lateral receptacles (16) projecting from opposed sides of the center column (14) and a mounting flange (18) extending downwardly from a lowermost portion of the center column (14) for being received within an uppermost portion of a center column (14) of another planting unit (12). The lighting system (104) utilizes sulfur lighting tubes (106) which are mounted to a vertically adjustable, movable apparatus (108) and sulfur lighting fixtures (122) which are fixably mounted to the walls, beams or related structures of a greenhouse or growing facility to insure the exposure of plants received in the receptacles (16) of the vertical columns (11) to optimal lighting conditions for maximum year-round growth potential.
84 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A cultivation system for cultivating plants in an indoor environment, said cultivation system comprising:
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at least one vertical growing column having a plurality of planting units of substantially similar construction, each of said planting units having a center column for reception within said center column of another of said planting units, a pair of lateral receptacles which extend from opposed sides of said center column and a front wall and a rear wall spaced from said front wall in a parallel orientation, said lateral receptacles defining an opening for receiving plants, growing media and plant nourishment, each said lateral receptacle being in fluid communication with said center column to provide a continuous volume of plant growing medium extending from a first one of said lateral receptacles to another of said lateral receptacles, said front and rear walls being identical in shape, said front and rear walls including a rectangular portion and oppositely disposed wings;
at least one sulfur light source; and
an apparatus for receiving and disposing said sulfur light source about said at least one growing column such that said light source provides sulfur light to plants disposed in said vertical growing column, regardless of position therein, thereby enhancing the quality and volume of the product produced by the plants disposed in said growing column. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A cultivation system for cultivating plants in an indoor environment, said cultivation system comprising:
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at least one vertical growing column having a plurality of planting units, each of said planting units defining a center column for reception within said center column of another of said planting units and a pair of lateral receptacles which extend from opposed sides of said center column, said pair of lateral receptacles defining an opening for receiving plants, growing media and plant nourishment, said pair of lateral receptacles being in fluid communication with said center column to provide a continuous volume of plant growing medium extending from a first one of said pair of lateral receptacles to another of said pair of lateral receptacles, each of said planting units including a front wall and a rear wall spaced from said front wall in a parallel orientation, said front and rear walls being identical in shape, said front and rear walls including a rectangular portion and oppositely disposed wings, said oppositely disposed wings defining a triangular configuration having a horizontal upper edge and a sloped lower edge, each of said oppositely disposed wings extending from a central portion of said front and rear wall rectangular portion such as to define an upper rectangular portion above said oppositely disposed wines and a lower rectangular portion below said oppositely disposed wings, each of said planting units further including a pair of spaced upper side walls orthogonally extending between said upper rectangular portions of said front and rear walls, a pair of medial side walls orthogonally extending between said sloped lower edges of said oppositely disposed wings of said front and rear walls, and a pair of lower side walls orthogonally extending between said lower rectangular portions of said front and rear walls;
at least one sulfur light source; and
an apparatus for receiving and disposing said light source about said at least one growing column such that said light source provides light to plants disposed in said vertical growing column, regardless of position therein, thereby enhancing the quality of the product produced and augmenting the productivity of the plants disposed in said growing column. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification