Systems and methods for cleaning a tray in a grow pod

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10836587-B2
Application number	US-201916545606-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2019
Priority date	Jun 14, 2017
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to systems and methods for emptying and/or cleaning a tray within an assembly line grow pod. In one embodiment, a sanitizer component for cleaning a tray coupled to a cart in an assembly line grow pod is disclosed. The sanitizer component is coupled to a track such that the cart and the tray are received in the sanitizer component via the track. The sanitizer component comprises a first actuator arm positioned underneath the track and extendable through an opening in the track and an aperture at a bottom end of the cart to contact the tray such that the tray rotates in a first direction. The sanitizer component further includes an actuator motor coupled to the first actuator arm for extending the first actuator arm and a controller. The controller is communicatively connected to the actuator motor in the sanitizer component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of cleaning a tray coupled to a cart placed on a track, the method comprising:
directing movement of the cart along the track into a sanitizer component; and
directing movement of a first actuator arm positioned underneath the track and extendable through an opening in the track and an aperture at the bottom of the cart such that the first actuator arm extends through the opening in the track and the aperture at the bottom of the cart to contact the tray such that the tray rotates in the first direction.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from a sensor of an automatic inspection system, information relating to a presence of contents in the tray; and
determining that the contents in the tray are to be emptied from the tray.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying a high pressure wash, the high pressure wash directing water towards the tray to remove particulate material from the tray.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
contacting a contact scrubber with the tray, the contact scrubber removing particulate material from the tray.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
rinsing the tray with clean water or neutralizing water to remove material or chemicals present on the tray.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
actuating at least one of a heater and a blower, the at least one of the heater and the blower drying the tray after rinsing the tray.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
directing movement of a second actuator arm to contact the tray and rotate the tray in a second direction opposite the first direction.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
directing movement of a third actuator arm to retract and lower the tray to an original position upon contact of the tray with the third actuator arm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tray rotates in the first direction to an ending position past a vertical to a ground surface.

10. A method of automatically cleaning a tray coupled to a cart placed on a track, the method comprising:
directing, by a control device, movement of the cart into a sanitizer component along the track;
transmitting, by the control device, one or more signals to cause a first actuator arm to extend through an opening in the track and an aperture at a bottom of the cart to contact the tray such that the tray rotates in a first direction; and
transmitting, by the control device, one or more signals to rotate the tray in a second direction opposite the first direction.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
directing, by the control device, one or more sprayers to spray water towards the tray.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
directing, by the control device, a contact scrubber to contact the tray and remove particulate matter from the tray.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
directing, by the control device, activation of ultraviolet (UV) treatment system to focus UV light on the tray.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
directing, by the control device, at least one of a heater and a blower, the at least one of the blower drying the tray.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the control device, one or more signals to actuate a second actuator arm to retract and lower the tray to an original position upon contact of the tray with the second actuator arm.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, by the control device, information from an automatic inspection system communicatively coupled to the control device, the information indicating that the tray is clean; and
directing, by the control device, movement of the cart out of the sanitizer component via the track.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, by the control device, information from an automatic inspection system communicatively coupled to the control device, the information indicating that the tray is not clean;
determining, by the control device, one or more additional cleaning steps; and
directing, by the control device, one or more elements of the sanitizer component to complete the additional cleaning steps.

18. A method of cleaning a tray coupled to a cart placed on a track, the method comprising:
directing a first actuator arm positioned underneath the track at a sanitizer component to extend through an opening in the track and an aperture at the bottom of the cart to contact the tray such that the tray rotates in the first direction; and
removing material present on the tray.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
directing movement of a second actuator arm to contact the tray and rotate the tray in a second direction opposite the first direction.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
directing movement of a third actuator arm to retract and lower the tray to an original position upon contact of the tray with the third actuator arm.

Assignees

• Grow Solutions Tech Llc

Inventors

• Millar Gary Bret
• Stott Mark Gerald
• Tueller Todd Garrett
• Hurst Michael Stephen
• Bentley Alan Ray
• Woodbury Taylor John

Classifications

• B65G2207/24

  Helical or spiral conveying path · CPC title

• B65G2201/0202

  Agricultural and processed food products · CPC title

• B65G47/965

  tilting about a sided-axis, i.e. the axis is not located near the center-line of the load-carrier · CPC title

• B65G45/22 Primary

  comprising fluid applying means · CPC title

• B65G21/18

  in three-dimensionally curved paths · CPC title