Peristaltic pumps in an assembly line grow pod and methods of providing fluids via peristaltic pumps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11089742-B2
Application number	US-201815991510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2018
Priority date	Jun 14, 2017
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for providing a predetermined amount of fluid in an assembly line grow pod are provided. Some embodiments include an assembly line grow pod including a tray held by a cart supported on a track, the tray including at least one section. The assembly line grow pod further includes a fluid source and a watering station. The watering station includes a robot device having a movable arm and at least one peristaltic pump coupled to the arm, the peristaltic pump having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet fluidly coupled to the fluid source. A predetermined amount of fluid from the fluid source is delivered to the at least one section of the tray via movement of the movable arm of the robot device to align the outlet of the peristaltic pump with the at least one section and via ejection of the fluid from the outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly line grow pod comprising:
a tray held by a cart supported on a track, the tray comprising at least one section;
a fluid source; and
a watering station comprising:
a robot device comprising a base and a movable arm having a first arm section hingedly coupled to the base and a second arm section hingedly coupled to the first arm section to provide the movable arm with a range of motion along a plurality of planes, and
a plurality of peristaltic pumps coupled to the movable arm of the robot device, wherein each peristaltic pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps comprises an inlet and an outlet, the inlet fluidly coupled to the fluid source,

wherein a predetermined amount of fluid from the fluid source is delivered to the at least one section of the tray via movement of the movable arm of the robot device along the plurality of planes to align each outlet of the plurality of peristaltic pumps with the at least one section and via ejection of the fluid from each outlet.

2. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , further comprising a master controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of peristaltic pumps and the robot device, wherein the master controller transmits signals to the plurality of peristaltic pumps and the robot device to control delivery of the fluid to the at least one section of the tray.

3. The assembly line grow pod of claim 2 , wherein the watering station further comprises at least one sensor communicatively coupled to the master controller, wherein the at least one sensor transmits signals or data or both to the master controller for determining a location of the at least one section of the tray relative to each outlet of the plurality of peristaltic pumps.

4. The assembly line grow pod of claim 3 , wherein the at least one sensor includes an imaging device that transmits image data to the master controller.

5. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , wherein the base of the robot device is a movable base that is movable relative to the tray.

6. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , wherein the watering station is positioned adjacent to the track such that, when the cart, when moving along a length of the track, passes the watering station to facilitate alignment of each outlet of the plurality of peristaltic pumps with the at least one section of the tray.

7. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid line fluidly coupled between the fluid source and each inlet of the plurality of peristaltic pumps.

8. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , further comprising one or more flow control valves fluidly coupled between the fluid source and each inlet of the plurality of peristaltic pumps, the one or more flow control valves controlling a flow of fluid from the fluid source and each inlet.

9. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , further comprising one or more fluid pumps fluidly coupled between the fluid source and each inlet of the plurality of peristaltic pumps, the one or more fluid pumps controlling a pressure and a flow of the fluid from the fluid source to each inlet.

10. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , wherein the tray comprises a first plurality of sections and a second plurality of sections, wherein the first plurality of sections has a shape and a size that is different from the second plurality of sections.

11. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , wherein the fluid source is a fluid holding tank containing one or more of the following: water, a mixture of water and nutrients, or nutrients.

12. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , wherein the fluid source includes a watering component that supplies one or more of the following: water and nutrients to plant material held in the at least one section of the tray.

13. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined amount of the fluid that is ejected from each outlet is predetermined according to a fluid supply recipe.

14. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , wherein the cart continuously moves along a length of the track while the predetermined amount of fluid from the fluid source is delivered.

15. A watering station adjacent to a track carrying a cart supporting a tray in an assembly line grow pod, the watering station comprising:
a robot device comprising a movable base and a movable arm having a first arm section hingedly coupled to the movable base and a second arm section hingedly coupled to the first arm section to provide the movable arm with a range of motion along a plurality of planes;
a plurality of peristaltic pumps supported on the movable arm of the robot device, each peristaltic pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps comprising an outlet; and
a sensor positioned to sense a location of one or more sections of the tray,
wherein the robot device moves, via the movable base and the movable arm along the plurality of planes, to align each of the plurality of peristaltic pumps with the one or more sections of the tray such that a predetermined amount of fluid is distributed by each of the plurality of peristaltic pumps into the one or more sections of the tray.

16. The watering station of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of peristaltic pumps further comprises an inlet fluidly coupled via one or more fluid lines to a fluid source.

17. The watering station of claim 15 , wherein the robot device, the plurality of peristaltic pumps, and the sensor are communicatively coupled to a master controller that directs operation of the robot device, the plurality of peristaltic pumps, and the sensor.

18. The watering station of claim 15 , wherein the one or more sections of the tray include a first plurality of sections and a second plurality of sections, the first plurality of sections having a shape and a size that is different from the second plurality of sections.

19. A method of providing a predetermined amount of fluid in an assembly line grow pod, the method comprising:
moving a cart supporting a tray having a plurality of sections containing plant material therein along a track adjacent to a watering station comprising a movable robot device supporting a plurality of peristaltic pumps, the movable robot device comprising a movable arm having a base, a first arm section hingedly coupled to the base, and a second arm section hingedly coupled to the first arm section to provide the movable arm with a range of motion along a plurality of planes;
determining an amount of fluid to be delivered to each section of the plurality of sections;
determining one or more movements of at least one of the base, the first arm section, and the second arm section of the movable robot device to align the plurality of peristaltic pumps with the plurality of sections;
directing the movable robot device to move according to the one or more movements; and
directing the plurality of peristaltic pumps to eject the determined amount of fluid into the plurality of sections.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
sensing a location and configuration of the plurality of sections.

Assignees

• Grow Solutions Tech Llc

Inventors

• Millar Gary Bret

Classifications

• B25J9/106

  with articulated links · CPC title

• A01G27/008

  Component parts, e.g. dispensing fittings, level indicators · CPC title

• A01G31/04 Primary

  Hydroponic culture on conveyors · CPC title

• A01G9/247 Primary

  Watering arrangements · CPC title

• A01G9/088

  Handling or transferring pots · CPC title