Plant cultivator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12538883-B2
Application number	US-202218688217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2022
Priority date	Aug 30, 2021
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a plant cultivator that can significantly improve user convenience by significantly simplifying the disassembly and assembly processes for cleaning and holding a main body part, a water tank part, and a cultivation port part and can significantly improve the efficiency and productivity of plant cultivation by applying a cultivation port part compatible with a closed type cultivator capable of mass cultivation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A plant cultivator comprising:
a cultivation package; a water tank on which the cultivation package is mounted and which stores cultivation water to be supplied to the cultivation package; a main body on which the water tank is seated; and a light source configured to emit light toward the cultivation package, wherein the water tank is not fastened to the main body, and wherein a guide rib is provided at a bottom surface of the water tank to determine a position at which the water tank is seated on the main body, and protrudes from the bottom surface of the water tank toward the main body.

2 . The plant cultivator of claim 1 ,
wherein, in when the water tank is seated the main body, the guide rib allows movement of the water tank in an upward direction with respect to the main body and restricts movement of the water tank in a front and rear direction relative to the main body.

3 . The plant cultivator of claim 1 ,
wherein the water tank includes:
a water tank body that has an upper opening and in which a storage space for the cultivation water is formed; and
wherein the guide rib protrudes from a bottom surface of the water tank body toward the main body.

4 . The plant cultivator of claim 3 ,
wherein the guide rib is formed integrally with the bottom surface of the water tank body.

5 . The plant cultivator of claim 3 ,
wherein a protruding height and a thickness from the bottom surface of the water tank body of the guide rib are constant throughout the guide rib.

6 . The plant cultivator of claim 5 ,
wherein a width of the guide rib in the front and rear direction is less than a width of the guide rib in a left and right direction.

7 . The plant cultivator of claim 3 ,
wherein the main body has an engaging groove into which the guide rib is inserted while the water tank is seated on the main body, and wherein the engaging groove restricts movement of the guide rib relative to the main body in the front and rear direction.

8 . The plant cultivator of claim 7 , further comprising:
a housing disposed above the main body and configured to accommodate the light source; and at least one spacer, each of the at least one spacer including a first end portion that is configured to be detachably coupled to the housing and a second end portion that is configured to be detachably coupled to the main body; wherein a storage space is formed inside the engaging groove, and the storage space is configured to accommodate the at least one spacer when separated from the housing and the main body.

9 . The plant cultivator of claim 1 ,
wherein the water tank includes:
a water tank body that has upper opening and in which a storage space for the cultivation water is formed; and
a water tank cover detachably coupled to the water tank body;
wherein the water tank cover includes a mounting surface configured to at least partially cover the upper opening of the water tank body when the water tank cover is coupled to the water tank body, and wherein the cultivation package is seated on and not fastened to the mounting surface.

10 . The plant cultivator of claim 9 ,
wherein the water tank body and the water tank cover are made of an opaque material.

11 . The plant cultivator of claim 9 ,
wherein the mounting surface has an insertion hole which is toward the storage space of the water tank body and through which a lower end of the cultivation package passes when the cultivation package is seated on the mounting surface, and wherein an area of the insertion hole is less than an area of the upper opening of the water tank body.

12 . The plant cultivator of claim 11 ,
wherein the area of the insertion hole is less than a cross-sectional area of an upper end of the cultivation package.

13 . The plant cultivator of claim 12 ,
wherein the insertion hole is covered by the upper end of the cultivation package when the cultivation package is seated on the mounting surface.

14 . The plant cultivator of claim 13 ,
wherein the mounting surface has a cultivation water supply groove which is in communication with the insertion hole and is formed on below the upper end of the cultivation package.

15 . The plant cultivator of claim 1 ,
wherein the cultivation package includes:
a package body that defines a space; and
a cultivation medium provided in the space of the package body.

16 . The plant cultivator of claim 1 ,
wherein the main body includes a main body side wall and a main body base to define a receiving space to receive at least a portion of the water tank, and the main body side wall includes at least one inner surface facing the receiving space and that defines a side opening to the receiving space, wherein the water tank includes a water tank side wall defining an inner cavity to receive the cultivation package and the cultivation water, and wherein, when the water tank is seated on the main body, at least one interior surface included in a first region of the water tank side wall faces the at least one inner surface of the main body side wall, and a second region of the water tank side wall is positioned in the side opening of the main body.

17 . The plant cultivator of claim 16 ,
wherein the main body base includes a storage space provided below the receiving space, and the main body includes an upper opening to access the receiving space, and wherein a portion of the water tank is received in the upper opening of the main body when the water tank is seated on the main body.

18 . A plant cultivator comprising:
a cultivation package; a water tank on which the cultivation package is mounted and which stores cultivation water to be supplied to the cultivation package; a main body including an upper surface to support the water tank; and a light source positioned above the main body and the water tank to emit light toward the cultivation package, wherein a bottom surface of the water tank includes a protrusion that protrudes from the bottom surface of the water tank toward the main body to determine a position at which the water tank is seated on the main body, and wherein the upper surface of the main body includes a space to receive the protrusion of the water tank.

19 . A plant cultivator comprising:
a base including a storage space and an upper opening to access the storage space; a light that is coupled to the base; and a tank that receives a cultivation medium and cultivation water, wherein the tank includes a guide rib at a bottom surface of the tank to position the cultivation medium toward the light, and wherein the guide rib protrudes from the bottom surface of the tank toward the base and is received within the upper opening of the base to couple the tank to the base.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Soobeom
• Kang Seok Man
• Jeong Youn Ho
• Hong Sangpyo
• Kim Jaewoong

Classifications

• A01G27/02

  having a water reservoir, the main part thereof being located wholly around or directly beside the growth substrate (A01G27/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01G31/02 Primary

  Special apparatus therefor (self-acting watering devices A01G27/00) · CPC title

• A01G9/249

  Lighting means (with special arrangements for promoting growth A01G7/045) · CPC title

• Y02P60/21

  Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures · CPC title