Ventilated cover and fungal culture device using it

Abstract

This invention provides a ventilated cap comprising a top, a cylindrical body, and a perforation. The top has a recessed area on its top surface and at least one groove on its top surface. The perforation is located in the recessed area and connects the external space on the top surface of the ventilated cap with the internal cavity of the cylindrical body. The at least one groove extends from the perforation to the edge of the top surface of the top. Additionally, this invention also provides a fungal culture device comprising the ventilated cap and a bottle as described above. Thus, multiple fungal culture devices can be conveniently stacked and stored by abutting the bottle against the recessed area of ​​the ventilated cap, while simultaneously connecting the internal and external air of the bottle through the at least one groove, without being obstructed by the bottles stacked on the ventilated cap.

Description

Ventilated cover and fungal culture device using it Technical Field

[0001] This work relates to fungal culture apparatus, specifically a breathable cover for use in fungal culture apparatus. Prior Technology

[0002] Artificial cultivation of fungi typically involves two steps: isolation and purification of the strain, followed by scale-up cultivation. In the scale-up stage, the strain is inoculated into a culture medium within a space bag or fungal culture bottle, maintaining communication between the medium and external air to ensure the fungi receive sufficient nutrients and fresh air for large-scale growth. Commercially available solid culture media, such as grains or sawdust, are commonly used not only for cultivating the fruiting bodies of large fungi like mushrooms or Ganoderma lucidum, but also for cultivating fungal mycelia for raising beetle larvae.

[0003] Republic of China Patent Publication No. M677708 discloses a breathable sealing device that can be applied to space bags or culture bottles for culturing fungi. However, the gas flow of this sealing device can only pass through the filter membrane area located at the top of the sealing device. When multiple space bags or culture bottles are stacked, the filter membrane area will be blocked and unable to breathe, thereby affecting the growth of fungi. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on the aforementioned prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a breathable cover for a fungal culture device that can remain breathable even when multiple fungal culture devices are stacked, without being blocked by other fungal culture devices.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this invention provides a breathable cover suitable for a fungal culture device, comprising a top, a cylindrical body, and a perforation. The top has a recessed area on its top surface and at least one groove on its top surface. The cylindrical body extends from the edge of the top in a direction away from the top. The perforation is located in the recessed area and connects the external space on the top surface of the breathable cover with the internal cavity of the cylindrical body, and the at least one groove extends from the perforation to the edge of the top surface of the top.

[0006] To achieve the same purpose, this invention also provides a fungal culture device comprising a breathable cap as described above, and a bottle for closing the breathable cap.

[0007] By utilizing the aforementioned technical features, the breathable cap and fungal culture device using the present invention allow for the convenient stacking and storage of multiple fungal culture devices by attaching the bottle to the recessed area of ​​the breathable cap. Simultaneously, the perforation allows for air circulation through at least one groove extending from the perforation to the top edge of the top surface, ensuring that the airflow is unobstructed by the bottle and providing ample fresh air for fungal growth. Furthermore, the breathable cap provided by the present invention can also be applied to space bags, maintaining breathability even when multiple space bags are stacked.

[0008] Preferably, the ventilated cover may further include a bottom located within the inner cavity of the cylindrical body, a connecting portion connecting the top and the bottom, and an air chamber formed by the top, the cylindrical body, the bottom, and the connecting portion; the perforation may penetrate the bottom and the connecting portion; the bottom and the cylindrical body may each have at least one air hole communicating with the air chamber. Thus, in addition to the perforation, the ventilated cover can also exchange air through the ventilation path formed by the at least one air hole in the cylindrical body, the air chamber, and the at least one air hole in the bottom, so that airflow is not limited to a single channel, but flows in and out through different paths. On the other hand, the bottom can block the culture medium inside the bottle, preventing the culture medium from escaping into the external space or blocking the perforation or the at least one air hole in the cylindrical body.

[0009] Preferably, the ventilated cover may further include at least three anti-roll elements evenly distributed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body. In this way, the fungal culture device can be placed on its side on the ground without rolling by supporting any two of the anti-roll elements on a flat surface, while at the same time the bottom prevents the culture medium from escaping into the external space.

[0010] Preferably, each of the anti-roll elements may have two plate portions, each plate portion having a first end portion connected to the cylindrical body portion, and a second end portion for the two plate portions of one anti-roll element to connect with each other. In this way, through this simple structure, each anti-roll element allows its second end portion to respectively contact the ground or the second end portion of another anti-roll element in the fungal culture device, allowing multiple fungal culture devices to be stacked sideways.

[0011] Preferably, the at least one vent of the cylindrical body can be located between the two first ends of each of the anti-rolling members. In this way, the at least one vent of the cylindrical body is not blocked by the ground or the anti-rolling members of the fungal culture device due to the obstruction of each plate, so that continuous ventilation can be carried out.

[0012] Preferably, the shape of the surface formed by the second endpoints of each of the anti-roll members can be selected from a group of equilateral triangles, squares, and regular hexagons. In this way, whether the multiple fungal culture devices are stacked on the ground in an upright or sideways manner, by adjusting the number of each anti-roll member so that the second endpoints form equilateral triangles, squares, and regular hexagons, the breathable covers can be properly nested and mutually supportive without wasting space. At the same time, the choice of the shape formed by the second endpoints can also improve the applicability of the fungal culture device to different installation environments.

[0013] Preferably, the ventilated cover may include four anti-roll members, and the surface formed by the second ends of each of the anti-roll members is square. This allows the ventilated covers of the plurality of fungal culture devices to be stacked in a square-interlocking manner, enabling the plurality of fungal culture devices to be stacked in the simplest and most space-saving way.

[0014] Detailed descriptions of the construction, features, and usage of the breathable cover and fungal culture apparatus using it, as provided in this invention, will be given in the subsequent detailed descriptions of the embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that such detailed descriptions and the specific embodiments listed in this invention are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this patent application. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0015] Figure 1 is an exploded view of the fungal culture apparatus provided in one of the preferred embodiments of this invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the ventilated cover of the fungal culture device provided in the preferred embodiment of this invention. Figure 3 is a side view of the ventilated cover of the fungal culture device provided in the preferred embodiment of this invention. Figure 4 is a top view of the ventilated cover of the fungal culture device provided in the preferred embodiment of this invention. Figure 5 is a bottom view of the ventilated cover of the fungal culture device provided in the preferred embodiment of this invention. Figure 6 is a sectional view of Figure 3 along section line 6-6. Figure 7 is a sectional view of Figure 4 along section line 7-7. Figure 8 is a sectional view of Figure 4 along section line 8-8. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the use of the fungal culture device provided in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing that four fungal culture devices are respectively stacked upright on top of four other fungal culture devices. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the use of the fungal culture device provided in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing four fungal culture devices lying on their sides and stacked on top of four other fungal culture devices. Implementation

[0016] The applicant first clarifies that in the embodiments and drawings described below, the same reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or their structural features. It should be noted that the elements and structures in the drawings are for illustrative purposes and are not drawn to scale or in quantity; and features of different embodiments may be used interchangeably if feasible in practice. Secondly, when it is stated that an element is disposed on another element, it means that the aforementioned element is directly disposed on the other element, or that the aforementioned element is indirectly disposed on the other element; that is, one or more other elements are disposed between the two elements. Conversely, when it is stated that an element is "directly" disposed on another element, it means that no other elements are disposed between the two elements.

[0017] Please refer to Figure 1 first. The fungal culture device 10 provided in a preferred embodiment of this invention includes a ventilated cover 20 and a bottle 30 for the ventilated cover 20 to be closed.

[0018] In this invention, the fungal culture device 10 can be used to cultivate various fungi. Preferably, the fungal culture device 10 of this invention can be used to cultivate fungi using solid culture media such as grains or sawdust. More preferably, the fungal culture device 10 of this invention can be used to cultivate the fruiting bodies of large fungi such as mushrooms or Ganoderma lucidum using solid culture media, or to cultivate fungal mycelia for beetle cultivation.

[0019] Please refer to Figures 2 to 8. The ventilated cover 20 has a top 21, a cylindrical body 22, a bottom 23, a connecting part 24, a perforation 25, an air chamber 26, and four anti-roll members 27.

[0020] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the top 21 is generally disc-shaped and has a recessed area 211 and twelve grooves 212. The recessed area 211 has a size and shape corresponding to the bottom surface of the bottle 30 and is located in a concentric circular area on the top surface of the top 21, so that the fungal culture device 10 of this invention can be conveniently stacked upright to accommodate multiple fungal culture devices 10 by attaching the bottle 30 to the recessed area 211. Each groove 212 extends from the center of the top surface of the top 21 to the circumference of the top surface of the top 21 and is evenly distributed on the top surface of the top 21.

[0021] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the cylindrical body 22 extends from the bottom circumference of the top 21 toward a direction away from the top 21, and has four air holes 221 connecting the inner cavity of the cylindrical body 22 with the external space.

[0022] As shown in Figure 5, the bottom 23 is generally disc-shaped and located on the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the cylindrical body 22. It has a plurality of vents 231 that are elongated and distributed obliquely radially on the bottom surface of the bottom 23. In this preferred embodiment, twenty vents 231 of the bottom 23 are used to achieve this.

[0023] As shown in Figure 7, the structure of the connecting part 24 is roughly a small concentric circle connecting the bottom surface of the top 21 and the top surface of the bottom 23, so that the connecting part 24 as a whole has a truncated cone shape with the upper bottom surface larger than the lower bottom surface.

[0024] The perforation 25 extends from the center of the top surface of the top 21 (that is, the center of the recessed area 211) through the connecting part 24 to the center of the bottom surface of the bottom 23, so as to connect the external space on the top surface of the recessed area 211 with the inner cavity of the cylindrical body 22, and each groove 212 extends outward with the perforation 25 as the center.

[0025] Please refer to Figure 9. When multiple fungal culture devices 10 are stacked upright, although the bottles 30 of the four fungal culture devices 10 on the upper layer will be in contact with the perforations 25 of the vent caps 20 of the four fungal culture devices 10 on the lower layer, the perforations 25 can still communicate with the outside air through the grooves 212 extending from the perforations 25 to the top edge of the top surface of the top 21, so that the fungi can obtain sufficient fresh air for growth.

[0026] Furthermore, the bottle body 30 can be optionally replaced with a space bag, and the recessed area 211 has a size and shape corresponding to the bottom surface of the space bag, so that the air permeability inside the space bag can still be maintained when multiple space bags are stacked.

[0027] The air chamber 26 is located within the inner cavity of the cylindrical body 22. It is a space formed by the top 21, the cylindrical body 22, the bottom 23, and the connecting part 24. The air chamber 26 can connect to the air inside the bottle 30 through the air holes 231 of the bottom 23 and to the outside air through the air holes 221 of the cylindrical body 22, forming an air channel connecting the inside and outside air of the bottle 30. In this way, the vent cap 20 can also be ventilated through the ventilation path formed by the air holes 221 of the cylindrical body 22, the air chamber 26, and the air holes 231 of the bottom 23, in addition to the perforation 25. This allows air to flow in and out through different paths, not just through a single channel. Ideally, outside air can flow into the bottle 30 through the perforation 25 and simultaneously exit the bottle 30 through the air holes 221, 231, and the air chamber 26, achieving the effect of gas circulation.

[0028] On the other hand, the size and shape of the openings of the perforations 25 and the pores 231 of the bottom 23 can be adjusted according to the shape and size of the particles of the culture medium such as grains or sawdust, so that the bottom 23 can effectively prevent the culture medium from escaping into the external space or blocking the pores 231 of the perforations 25 or the bottom 23.

[0029] Each anti-roll member 27 is evenly distributed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body 22 and each has two plate portions 271. Each plate portion 271 has a first end point 272 that connects to the cylindrical body 22 and a second end point 273 for the two plate portions 271 of one anti-roll member 27 to connect with each other. Each air hole 221 of the cylindrical body 22 is located between the two first end points 272 of each anti-roll member 27, so that the air holes 221 of the cylindrical body 22 are not blocked by the anti-roll members 27 of the ground or other fungal culture devices 10 due to the obstruction of each plate portion 271, and can continuously exchange air.

[0030] Furthermore, the number of anti-rolling components 27 should be at least three, so that when the fungal culture device 10 is placed on its side on the ground, no matter how it is rotated, the second ends 273 of any two anti-rolling components 27 can be supported on the plane without rolling, and at the same time the bottom 23 can prevent the culture medium from escaping into the external space.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 10. When the eight fungal culture devices 10 are stacked on their sides, the second ends 273 of the anti-roll members 27 of the four fungal culture devices 10 located on the lower layer not only touch the ground, but can also be stacked upwards by touching the anti-roll members 27 of the four fungal culture devices 10 located on the upper layer. In this way, each anti-roll member 27 can, through a simple structure, allow the second ends 273 of each fungal culture device 10 to touch the ground and be placed on its side, and multiple fungal culture devices 10 can be stacked on their side by utilizing the contact between the second ends 273.

[0032] In this design, the number of anti-roll elements 27 can be adjusted according to the desired storage environment. Preferably, the number of anti-roll elements 27 can be selected from groups of three, four, or six, so that the surfaces formed by the second endpoints 273 of each anti-roll element 27 present the shapes of equilateral triangles, squares, and regular hexagons. In this way, whether the multiple fungal culture devices 10 are stacked on the ground in an upright or sideways manner, the breathable covers 20 can be properly nested and mutually supported without wasting space, further enhancing the applicability of the fungal culture device 10 to different installation environments.

[0033] In this preferred embodiment, the fungal culture device 10 is implemented by setting four anti-roll members 27, and the surface formed by the second endpoints 273 of each anti-roll member 27 is square, so that the breathable covers 20 of the plurality of fungal culture devices 10 are stacked in a square-inlaid manner, and the fungal culture devices 10 can be stacked in the simplest and space-saving way.

[0034] In summary, the breathable cover 20 and the fungal culture device 10 using it provided by this invention allow multiple fungal culture devices 10 to be stacked upright through the recessed area 211 of the breathable cover 20, and to exchange air through the airflow paths of the perforations 25 and grooves 212 without being blocked by the bottle body 30. Furthermore, the breathable cover 20 also allows airflow through the air holes 221, 231 and air chambers 26, enabling the fungal culture device 10 to receive and expel air through different paths, ensuring sufficient fresh air for fungal growth. Additionally, the fungal culture device 10 of this invention is supported by the anti-rolling components 27 to prevent rolling, and the number of anti-rolling components 27 can be adjusted according to the environment to improve the applicability of the fungal culture device 10 in different settings. Simultaneously, the structural design of the anti-rolling components 27 keeps other objects or the ground a certain distance from the air holes 221 of the cylindrical body 22, maintaining airflow. The bottom 23 of the ventilated cover 20 can effectively prevent the culture medium from escaping into the external space or blocking the pores 221 of the perforation 25 or the cylindrical body 22 when placed upright or on its side.

[0035] 10: Fungal culture device 20: Breathable cover 21: Top 211: Depression area 212: Trench 22:Tubular body 221: Stomata 23: Bottom 231: Stomata 24: Connecting part 25: Perforation 26: Air chamber 27: Roller guards 271: Plate section 272: First endpoint 273: Second endpoint 30: Bottle body

Claims

1. A breathable cover for a fungal culture device, comprising: a top having a recessed area on a top surface of the top and at least one groove on the top surface of the top; a cylindrical body extending from an edge of the top in a direction away from the top; and a perforation located in the recessed area and communicating an external space on the top surface of the breathable cover with an inner cavity of the cylindrical body, wherein the at least one groove extends from the perforation to the top edge of the top surface of the top.

2. The ventilated cover as claimed in claim 1 further includes a bottom located within the inner cavity of the cylindrical body, a connecting portion connecting the top and the bottom, and an air chamber formed by the top, the cylindrical body, the bottom, and the connecting portion; the perforation extends through the bottom and the connecting portion; the bottom and the cylindrical body each have at least one air hole communicating with the air chamber.

3. The ventilated cover as described in claim 2 further includes at least three anti-roll elements evenly distributed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body.

4. The breathable cover as described in claim 3, wherein, Each of the anti-rolling components has two plate portions, each plate portion having a first end portion connected to the cylindrical body portion, and a second end portion for the two plate portions of the anti-rolling component to connect to each other.

5. The breathable cover as described in claim 4, wherein, The at least one vent in the cylindrical body is located between the two first ends of each of the anti-roll elements.

6. The breathable cover as described in claim 4, wherein, The shape of the surface formed by the second endpoints of each of the anti-rolling components is selected from the group of equilateral triangles, squares and regular hexagons.

7. The breathable cover as claimed in claim 6, comprising four of the anti-roll members, wherein the surface formed by the second endpoints of each of the anti-roll members is square in shape.

8. A fungal culture apparatus comprising a ventilated cap as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, and a bottle for closing the ventilated cap.

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