Automated gravimetric screening platform system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9681611-B2
Application number	US-201414540706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2014
Priority date	Apr 15, 2011
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A pot for use with system for controlling soil moisture in a plurality of potted plants to perform water deficit experiments includes a body portion having an open top end and a bottom end, and a flange coupled to the body portion adjacent the top end. The flange is configured to engage a platform to hold the body portion within an opening of the platform. The pot also includes a fluid reservoir having a bottom portion located adjacent the bottom end of the body portion, a plurality of vertically extending fluid channels extending upwardly toward the top end of the body portion, a fill opening located at the bottom end of the body portion in communication with the bottom portion of the fluid reservoir, and a check valve coupled to the fill opening to permit fluid to be supplied to the fluid reservoir from the bottom end of the body portion through fill opening and the check valve.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pot for use with a system for controlling soil moisture in a plurality of potted plants to perform water deficit experiments, the system including a stationary platform having a plurality of openings formed therein, the pot comprising:
a body portion having an open top end and a bottom end;
a flange coupled to the body portion adjacent the top end, the flange being configured to engage the platform to hold the body portion within an opening of the platform;
a fluid reservoir having a bottom portion located adjacent the bottom end of the body portion, a plurality of vertically extending fluid channels fluidly coupled to the fluid reservoir, the fluid channels extending upwardly toward the top end of the body portion, and a fill opening located at the bottom end of the body portion in communication with the bottom portion of the fluid reservoir; and
a check valve coupled to the fill opening to permit fluid to be supplied to the fluid reservoir from the bottom end of the body portion through the fill opening and the check valve, wherein the fill opening is offset from a center axis of the body portion, and further comprising an alignment tab located near the top end of the body portion, the alignment tab being configured to be located within a notched portion of the opening formed in the platform to align the fill opening of the pot with a water supply.

2. The pot of claim 1 , further comprising an overfill opening in communication with each of the fluid channels, the overfill opening being located near the top end of the body portion.

3. The pot of claim 1 , wherein the flange includes opposite side portions which are curved to facilitate loading and unloading the pots on the platform.

4. The pot of claim 1 , wherein the bottom end of the body portion includes a plurality of ribs and a plurality of threaded mounting members, and wherein the bottom portion of the fluid reservoir is defined by an end cap coupled to the bottom end of the body portion.

5. The pot of claim 4 , wherein the end cap includes a plurality of openings aligned with the plurality of threaded mounting members on the bottom end of the body portion, the end cap being coupled to the bottom end of the body portion by fasteners extending through O-ring seals and engaging the threaded mounting members.

6. The pot of claim 1 , wherein the check valve includes a diaphragm and an umbrella valve coupled to the fill opening.

7. The pot of claim 1 , wherein the check valve is coupled to the fill opening by an O-ring seal which extends below a bottom surface of the pot to provide a seal between the fill opening and a top surface of a support configured to lift the pot and supply fluid through the support and the fill opening.

8. The pot of claim 1 , further comprising a removable drain plug coupled to a drain opening formed in the bottom portion of the fluid reservoir, the fluid reservoir being drained by removal of the drain plug.

9. The pot of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of top openings in fluid communication with the plurality of vertically extending fluid channels and located adjacent the top end of the body portion so that water flows from the fluid reservoir, up the vertically extending fluid channels, and out the top openings to provide top watering of the plant within the pot.

10. The pot of claim 1 , wherein the fill opening is located in a downwardly facing bottom surface of the body portion so that fluid is supplied to the fluid reservoir through the fill opening in the bottom surface.

11. The pot of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of vertically extending fluid channels include a fluid inlet that is coupled to the fluid reservoir.

12. The pot of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of vertically extending fluid channels include a fluid outlet that is vertically higher than the fluid inlet.

13. The pot of claim 1 , wherein the body portion includes a soil column and the fluid reservoir is spaced apart from the soil column.

14. A pot for use with a system for controlling soil moisture in a plurality of potted plants to perform water deficit experiments, the system including a stationary platform having a plurality of openings formed therein, the pot comprising:
a body portion having an open top end and a bottom end;
a flange coupled to the body portion adjacent the top end, the flange being configured to engage the platform to hold the body portion within an opening of the platform;
a fluid reservoir having a bottom portion located adjacent the bottom end of the body portion, a plurality of vertically extending fluid channels fluidly coupled to the fluid reservoir, the fluid channels extending upwardly toward the top end of the body portion, and a fill opening located at the bottom end of the body portion in communication with the bottom portion of the fluid reservoir; and
a check valve coupled to the fill opening to permit fluid to be supplied to the fluid reservoir from the bottom end of the body portion through the fill opening and the check valve, wherein the pot further comprises a load cell module including a load cell having a support that lifts the pot upwardly to support the weight of the pot thereon and, wherein the load cell support is formed to include an aperture aligned with the fill opening at the bottom end of the pot and a connector in fluid communication with the aperture, wherein water is supplied to the pot from a water supply through the connector and the aperture of the load cell module support through the fill opening of the pot and into the fluid reservoir.

15. The pot of claim 14 , wherein the load cell support is movable from a first position spaced apart from the bottom surface of the pot to a second position in which the support engages the bottom surface of the pot and lifts the pot upwardly to support the weight of the pot thereon, the load cell weighing the lifted pot, and wherein water is supplied to the fluid reservoir of the pot through the load cell support to the fill opening formed in the bottom surface of the pot.

16. The pot of claim 15 , wherein the check valve is coupled to the fill opening by an O-ring seal which extends below the bottom surface of the body portion to provide a seal between the fill opening and a top surface of the load cell support configured to lift the pot and supply fluid through the support and the fill opening.

Assignees

• Dow Agrosciences Llc

Inventors

• Golgotiu Kirsti A
• Herve Philippe
• Keller Douglas
• Swartwood Troy M
• Donaldson Jeffrey D

Classifications

• A01G9/02

  Receptacles, e.g. flower-pots or boxes (self-acting watering devices A01G27/00; hanging flower baskets, holders or containers for flower-pots A47G7/00); Glasses for cultivating flowers · CPC title

• A01G7/00

  Botany in general · CPC title

• A01G9/247

  Watering arrangements · CPC title

• A01G27/003 Primary

  Control of self-acting watering devices (Hydroponic system controls A01G31/008) · CPC title

• A01G9/088

  Handling or transferring pots · CPC title