Vertical hydroponic tower harvesting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10765064-B2
Application number	US-201816012932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2018
Priority date	Jun 20, 2018
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A plant harvesting system for use with a vertical hydroponic tower, the hydroponic tower containing a plurality of vertically aligned plants. The harvesting system includes a payload transport system and a harvester. The payload transport system, which is configured to be positioned at a location adjacent to the hydroponic tower, includes a base and a lift tower, the lift tower including a motorized lift system configured to move the harvester upward and downward. In addition to cutting plant stalks while moving upwards along the face of the hydroponic tower, the harvester also groups and collects the plant leafs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plant harvesting system for use with a vertical hydroponic tower, the vertical hydroponic tower containing a plurality of vertically aligned plants, each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants comprising a plant stalk and a plurality of leafs, the plant harvesting system comprising:
a payload transport system configured to be positioned at a location adjacent to said vertical hydroponic tower, said payload transport system comprising:
a base; and
a lift tower mounted to said base, said lift tower further comprising a motorized payload lift system, said motorized payload lift system configured to move an interface plate in an upward direction and in a downward direction; and

a harvester mounted to said interface plate via a mounting plate, wherein said harvester harvests said plurality of leafs from each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants as said motorized payload lift system moves said harvester in said upward direction along a face of said vertical hydroponic tower; and
a pair of guides configured to maintain said harvester in a preset harvesting position relative to said vertical hydroponic tower as said motorized payload lift system moves said harvester in said upward direction along said face of said vertical hydroponic tower.

2. The plant harvesting system of claim 1 , said pair of guides configured to capture a feature of said vertical hydroponic tower as said motorized payload lift system moves said harvester in said upward direction along said face of said vertical hydroponic tower.

3. A plant harvesting system for use with a vertical hydroponic tower, the vertical hydroponic tower containing a plurality of vertically aligned plants, each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants comprising a plant stalk and a plurality of leafs, the plant harvesting system comprising:
a payload transport system configured to be positioned at a location adjacent to said vertical hydroponic tower, said payload transport system comprising:
a base; and
a lift tower mounted to said base, said lift tower further comprising a motorized payload lift system, said motorized payload lift system configured to move an interface plate in an upward direction and in a downward direction; and

a harvester mounted to said interface plate via a mounting plate, wherein said harvester harvests said plurality of leafs from each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants as said motorized payload lift system moves said harvester in said upward direction along a face of said vertical hydroponic tower, said harvester further comprising:
an assembly of guide rails rigidly coupled to said mounting plate, said harvester movably coupled to said assembly of guide rails; and
an actuator coupled to said harvester and said mounting plate, said actuator configured to move said harvester on said assembly of guide rails in a forward direction towards said vertical hydroponic tower and in a rearward direction away from said vertical hydroponic tower.

4. The plant harvesting system of claim 3 , said actuator selected from the group consisting of pneumatic actuators and electro-mechanical actuators.

5. The plant harvesting system of claim 3 , wherein said harvester is extended in said forward direction to engage with said vertical hydroponic tower, and wherein said harvester is retracted in said rearward direction to disengage from said vertical hydroponic tower.

6. The plant harvesting system of claim 1 , said harvester further comprising a plurality of guide surfaces configured to funnel said plurality of leafs from each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants away from said vertical hydroponic tower as said harvester moves in said upward direction along said face of said vertical hydroponic tower.

7. The plant harvesting system of claim 6 , said plurality of guide surfaces configured to funnel said plurality of leafs from each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants towards a central collection zone of said harvester as said harvester moves in said upward direction along said face of said vertical hydroponic tower.

8. The plant harvesting system of claim 6 , said harvester further comprising a guide slot located between a first guide surface and a second guide surface of said plurality of guide surfaces, said guide slot configured to accommodate said plant stalk from each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants as said harvester moves in said upward direction along said face of said vertical hydroponic tower.

9. A plant harvesting system for use with a vertical hydroponic tower, the vertical hydroponic tower containing a plurality of vertically aligned plants, each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants comprising a plant stalk and a plurality of leafs, the plant harvesting system comprising:
a payload transport system configured to be positioned at a location adjacent to said vertical hydroponic tower, said payload transport system comprising:
a base; and
a lift tower mounted to said base, said lift tower further comprising a motorized payload lift system, said motorized payload lift system configured to move an interface plate in an upward direction and in a downward direction; and

a harvester mounted to said interface plate via a mounting plate, wherein said harvester harvests said plurality of leafs from each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants as said motorized payload lift system moves said harvester in said upward direction along a face of said vertical hydroponic tower, said harvester further comprising at least one plant stalk cutting blade, said at least one plant stalk cutting blade positioned in front of a leaf collection region of said harvester, said at least one plant stalk cutting blade configured to sever said plant stalk of each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants as said harvester moves in said upward direction along said face of said vertical hydroponic tower.

10. The plant harvesting system of claim 9 , said at least one plant stalk cutting blade selected from the group consisting of stationary cutting blades, oscillating cutting blades, scissor cutting blades, and spinning cutting blades.

11. The plant harvesting system of claim 9 , said at least one plant stalk cutting blade selected from the group consisting of serrated cutting blades and smooth cutting blades.

12. The plant harvesting system of claim 9 , said harvester configured to collect said plurality of leafs from each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants after said at least one cutting blade severs said plant stalk of each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants as said harvester moves in said upward direction along said face of said vertical hydroponic tower.

13. The plant harvesting system of claim 12 , said harvester directing said plurality of leafs from each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants towards a collection bin after said at least one cutting blade severs said plant stalk of each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants.

14. A plant harvesting system for use with a vertical hydroponic tower, the vertical hydroponic tower containing a plurality of vertically aligned plants, each of said plurality of vertically aligned plants comprising a plant stalk and a plurality of leafs, said plurality of vertically aligned plants contained within a plurality of plant containers, the plant harvesting system comprising:
a payload transport system configured to be positioned at a location adjacent to said vertical hydroponic tower, said payload transport system comprising:
a base; and
a lift tower mounted to said base, said lift tower further comprising a motor

Assignees

• Mjnn Llc

Inventors

• Klein Brice
• Whitworth John
• Pilorin Loren
• Olson Anna
• Malone Maria
• Le Roux Alexandre
• Flynn Michael
• Hasoon Tamara

Classifications

• A01G31/00 Primary

  Soilless cultivation, e.g. hydroponics (growth substrates therefor A01G24/00; cultivation of seaweed A01G33/00) · CPC title

• A01D43/063

  in or into a container carried by the mower; Containers therefor (A01D43/077 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01D46/24

  Devices for picking apples or like fruit (A01D46/28 {and A01D46/005} takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01D43/00

  Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing (A01D37/00, A01D39/00, A01D41/00, take precedence) · CPC title

• A01D34/835

  specially adapted for particular purposes · CPC title