Plant cultivation device and feed-water control method

• US 9,027,279 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Suntory Holdings Limited (Kotobuki Realty Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Suntory Holdings Limited (Kotobuki Realty Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Masaki, Nomachi, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, MONICA L
• Application Number:
  US13/512,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20120297675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• Field of Search: 47/64, 47/59.R, 47/79, 47/80
• US Class Current: 47/79
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 20/00 Cultivation of turf, lawn or the like; Apparatus or methods therefor hand-held edge trimmers or shears for lawn A01G3/06; edging for lawn A01G9/28; lawn-mowers A01D34/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 27/02 having a water reservoir, the main part thereof being located wholly around or directly beside the growth substrate A01G27/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/033 Flat containers for turf, lawn or the like, e.g. for covering roofs

Abstract

A plant cultivation device and feed-water control method, in which a detected moisture amount to start watering and a water amount to be used per watering are easily determined, includes a plant cultivation container for pooling plant cultivation water; a water-absorbing plant cultivation bed material; a feed-water device for supplying the plant cultivation water to the plant cultivation container; a first moisture sensor for detecting moisture around an immersed part of the plant cultivation bed material; a second moisture sensor for detecting moisture around a growth part of the plant cultivation bed material where a root of a plant is received; and a controller for supplying water when values detected by both of the first and second moisture sensors are below respective reference values, and for stopping water supply when a value detected by either the first or second moisture sensor is above the corresponding reference value.

Claims

1. A plant cultivation device comprising:

a plant cultivation container having a water reservoir portion for pooling plant cultivation water;

a water-absorbing plant cultivation bed material disposed in the plant cultivation container;

a feed-water device for supplying the plant cultivation water to the water reservoir portion;

a first moisture sensor for detecting a moisture amount around an immersed part of the plant cultivation bed material immersed in the plant cultivation water of the water reservoir portion or a water amount in the water reservoir portion, the first moisture sensor being positioned around the immersed part of the plant cultivation bed material or in the water reservoir portion;

a second moisture sensor for detecting a moisture amount around a growth part of the plant cultivation bed material where a root of a plant is received, the second moisture sensor being positioned around the growth part of the plant cultivation bed material where the root of the plant is received; and

a controller for allowing the feed-water device to supply water when values detected by both the first moisture sensor and the second moisture sensor are below respective reference values, and for stopping water supply when a value detected by one of the first moisture sensor and the second moisture sensor is above the corresponding reference value.

2. The plant cultivation device according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a first time period measuring means for measuring a time period during which water is continuously supplied by the feed-water device, and when a time period measured by the first time period measuring means exceeds a predetermined base time, forced water stop is performed in which the water supply is stopped.

3. The plant cultivation device according to claim 2, wherein the controller comprises a second time period measuring means for measuring a continuous drying time during which both of the first moisture sensor and the second moisture sensor continuously detect moisture detection values below respective reference values, and when a time period measured by the second time period measuring means exceeds a predetermined base time, a warning is issued.

4. The plant cultivation device according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a second time period measuring means for measuring a continuous drying time during which both of the first moisture sensor and the second moisture sensor continuously detect moisture detection values below respective reference values, and when a time period measured by the second time period measuring means exceeds a predetermined base time, a warning is issued.

5. A feed-water control method in a plant cultivation device comprising:

a plant cultivation container having a water reservoir portion for pooling plant cultivation water;

a water-absorbing plant cultivation bed material disposed in the plant cultivation container; and

a feed-water device for supplying the plant cultivation water to the water reservoir portion, in which a supply of the plant cultivation water by the feed-water device is controlled, the method comprising;

a step of installing a first moisture sensor for detecting a moisture amount around an immersed part of the plant cultivation bed material immersed in the plant cultivation water of the water reservoir portion or a water amount in the water reservoir portion, the first moisture sensor being positioned around the immersed part of the plant cultivation bed material or in the water reservoir portion;

a step of installing a second moisture sensor for detecting a moisture amount around a growth part of the plant cultivation bed material where a root of a plant is received, the second moisture sensor being positioned around the growth part of the plant cultivation bed material; and

a step of allowing the feed-water device to supply water when values detected by both the first moisture sensor and the second moisture sensor are below respective reference values, and for stopping water supply when a value detected by either the first moisture sensor or the second moisture sensor is above the corresponding reference value.

6. A plant cultivator comprising:

a plant cultivation container having a water reservoir portion to pool plant cultivation water;

a water-absorbing plant cultivation bed material disposed in the plant cultivation container;

a feed-water device to supply the plant cultivation water to the water reservoir portion;

a first moisture sensor to detect a moisture amount around an immersed part of the plant cultivation bed material immersed in the plant cultivation water of the water reservoir portion or a water amount in the water reservoir portion, the first moisture sensor being positioned around the immersed part of the plant cultivation bed material or in the water reservoir portion;

a second moisture sensor to detect a moisture amount around a growth part of the plant cultivation bed material where a root of a plant is received, the second moisture sensor being positioned around the growth part of the plant cultivation bed material where the root of the plant is received; and

a controller to allow the feed-water device to supply water when values detected by both the first moisture sensor and the second moisture sensor are below respective reference values, and to stop water supply when a value detected by one of the first moisture sensor and the second moisture sensor is above the corresponding reference value.

7. The plant cultivator according to claim 6, wherein the controller comprises a first time period gauge to measure a time period during which water is continuously supplied by the feed-water device, and when a time period measured by the first time period gauge exceeds a predetermined base time, forced water stop is performed in which the water supply is stopped.

8. The plant cultivator according to claim 7, wherein the controller comprises a second time period gauge to measure a continuous drying time during which both of the first moisture sensor and the second moisture sensor continuously detect moisture detection values below respective reference values, and when a time period measured by the second time period gauge exceeds a predetermined base time, a warning is issued.

9. The plant cultivator according to claim 6, wherein the controller comprises a second time period gauge to measure a continuous drying time during which both of the first moisture sensor and the second moisture sensor continuously detect moisture detection values below respective reference values, and when a time period measured by the second time period gauge exceeds a predetermined base time, a warning is issued.

10. A feed-water control method in a plant cultivator comprising:

a plant cultivation container having a water reservoir portion to pool plant cultivation water;

a water-absorbing plant cultivation bed material disposed in the plant cultivation container; and

a feed-water device to supply the plant cultivation water to the water reservoir portion, in which a supply of the plant cultivation water by the feed-water device is controlled, the method comprising;

installing a first moisture sensor to detect a moisture amount around an immersed part of the plant cultivation bed material immersed in the plant cultivation water of the water reservoir portion or a water amount in the water reservoir portion, the first moisture sensor being positioned around the immersed part of the plant cultivation bed material or in the water reservoir portion;

installing a second moisture sensor to detect a moisture amount around a growth part of the plant cultivation bed material where a root of a plant is received, the second moisture sensor being positioned around the growth part of the plant cultivation bed material; and

allowing the feed-water device to supply water when values detected by both the first moisture sensor and the second moisture sensor are below respective reference values, and for stopping water supply when a value detected by either the first moisture sensor or the second moisture sensor is above the corresponding reference value.