Soil moisture device for plants

Abstract

Soil moisture device for plants with a housing for receiving the plants (25) and with a moisture measuring device (1) comprising a first capacitor electrode (14) and a second capacitor electrode (15) as well as an evaluation device (13), characterized in that the housing is designed in multiple parts comprising an inner pot (3) for receiving the plant soil (24), an intermediate pot (31) which surrounds the inner pot (3) at a bottom wall (26) and at a side wall (27) thereof, and an outer pot (2) which surrounds the intermediate pot (31) at a bottom wall (32) and at a side wall (33) thereof, and that the first capacitor electrode (14) and the second capacitor electrode (15) are designed with a large surface area, covering the outside of the intermediate pot (31) at a circumferential angle (φ) of at least 40°.

Description

The invention relates to a soil moisture device for plants according to the preamble of claim 1. From EP 3 145 292 B1, a moisture measuring device for plants is known, comprising an evaluation unit and two capacitor electrodes. The capacitor electrodes are inserted into the potting soil of the plant pot. From DE 10 2020 118 565 A1, a moisture measuring device for plants is known, which has capacitor electrodes arranged at intervals from each other. These are inserted into the potting soil of a plant pot. A disadvantage of the known measuring device is that it is an obstruction when watering the plant pot or its position is changed in an undesirable way. From CN 2 05 015 307 U, a soil moisture device for plants is known, in which a first and second capacitor electrode are arranged on a circuit board which is attached to the inside of a pot filled with the plant. From DE 20 2014 001 092 U1 a soil moisture device for plants is known, in which a moisture measuring device is arranged in a soil area of ​​a housing of the plant. From DE 20 2016 005 957 U1, a soil moisture measuring device for plants is known, comprising a housing for holding potting soil and a moisture measuring device containing a first capacitor electrode and a second capacitor electrode, as well as an evaluation unit. The capacitor electrodes and the evaluation unit are arranged in a base area of ​​the housing. A disadvantage of this design is the relatively large volume requirement. The object of the present invention is therefore to further develop a soil moisture device in such a way as to improve comfort and ease of use. To solve this problem, the invention has the features of claim 1. The particular advantage of the invention lies in the fact that the multi-part design of the housing for the plant provides a physical separation between the plant itself and the moisture measuring device. The plant is planted in potting soil surrounded by an inner pot. The two capacitor electrodes are arranged on the outside of an intermediate pot surrounding the inner pot. From a handling perspective, the standard inner pot containing the plant and potting soil can be easily inserted into the intermediate pot without requiring any additional fastening of parts of the moisture measuring device. According to the invention, a first capacitor electrode and a second capacitor electrode are designed with a large surface area, specifically along a circumferential angle of at least 40°, preferably in a range of 160° to 175°. The circumferential angle extends around an axis of symmetry of the outer pot and the inner pot, respectively. Preferably, the electrodes each extend from a soil path to an upper opening edge of the intermediate pot. Preferably, the first capacitor electrode and the second capacitor electrode extend over an equally sized area. Advantageously, this allows for accurate measurement results without hindering the user in the treatment (watering) of the plant. According to a further development of the invention, the first capacitor electrode and the second capacitor electrode are each designed as an electrically conductive film, which are bonded to an outer surface of the intermediate container. Advantageously, the electrodes and their connecting leads are arranged in a space-saving manner and are protected from contact / damage by the wall of the intermediate container. In a further development of the invention, electrical cables protrude from the intermediate pot, which has the first and second capacitor electrodes on its exterior. These cables can be connected to terminals of the evaluation unit. The intermediate pot serves solely as a support for the first and second capacitor electrodes, as well as for the connecting cables of the electrodes. The outer pot houses the evaluation unit and the intermediate pot, with its inner surface in contact with the outer surface of the intermediate pot. The inner pot then serves as the support for the plant. According to a further development of the invention, the evaluation unit includes a solar panel and / or a supercapacitor, by means of which the electrical supply of the evaluation unit is ensured. This advantageously saves energy. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a soil moisture device according to a first embodiment, wherein a cover pot of the soil moisture device is formed in two parts; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an inner second part of the cover pot according to Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a top view of the second part according to Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a representation of a one-piece cover pot according to a further embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 shows a side view of a one-piece cover pot according to a further embodiment of the invention; and Figure 6 shows a perspective view of an intermediate pot of the invention. A soil moisture device for plants has a housing for receiving the plant 25 and a potting soil 24 as well as a moisture measuring device 1. According to the invention, the housing is designed in multiple parts, comprising a cover pot 2 and an inner pot 3. The inner pot 3 serves to hold the potting soil 24 and the plant 25. The planter 2 according to the embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2 to 3 is made in two parts and comprises a first part 4 and a second part 5 surrounding the first part 4. The inner pot 3 can be a commercially available planter made of stoneware, plastic, or the like, of any design. The first part 4 has a base wall 6 and a side wall 7 extending vertically from it. The side wall 7 can be cylindrical or frustoconical in shape. The second part 5, like the first part 4, is pot-shaped with a base wall 8 and an upright side wall 9. The second part 5 is designed so that it can be inserted into the first part 4 with some play.The second part 5 is arranged in an upper section 10 of the first part 4, located on a side facing away from the base wall 6 of the first part 4. A chamber 12 is arranged in a lower section 11 of the first part 4, facing the base wall 6, and contains an evaluation unit 13 of the moisture measuring device 1. The evaluation unit 13 comprises electronics 13' with a microprocessor and a program for programming a determination of the watering requirement and / or for the automatic watering of the inner pot 3. For example, the evaluation unit 13 can generate a signal when the moisture content of the monitored potting soil 24 falls to a critical threshold. To measure the moisture of the potting soil 24, the evaluation unit 13 has a first capacitor electrode 14 and a second capacitor electrode 15, which are integrated into the second part 5 of the outer pot 2.The two electrons 14, 15 are connected to the evaluation unit 13 via leads not shown. A solar panel 16 and / or a supercapacitor 17 is provided to power the evaluation unit 13. The solar panel 16 is located outside the planter, for example next to it, and can, for example, charge the supercapacitor 17. Alternatively, the solar panel 16 is located inside the planter 2 or the first part 4. If the first part 4 is cuboid and / or polygonal, a rigid solar panel 16 is arranged flat against one outer surface of the first part 4. If the first part 4 is curved, a flexible solar panel 16 is arranged flat against one outer surface of the first part 4. For example, the evaluation unit 13 can have an evaluation program so that the moisture content of the potting soil 24 is measured once a day. This moisture value is stored in a memory of the evaluation unit 13 until the next measurement. The evaluation unit 13 is connected to an optical signaling device 18, which can, for example, have an LED light source to signal a dry state of the potting soil 24. If the moisture content falls below the threshold value, for example, the color of the light source changes from, for example, green to red. Alternatively, the light source can also be a single color. The dry state of the potting soil 24 can then be indicated, for example, by a change in the flashing frequency of the light source. This signals to the user that they need to add moisture to the potting soil 24. Furthermore, the evaluation unit 13 can be connected to a radio module 19, so that, for example, the drying status can be transmitted to a mobile data device via WLAN. For water supply and dosing of the plant soil 24 with water, the evaluation unit 13 is connected to a switching device 20, for example an electric valve or a pump for conveying water from an external water resource reservoir to the plant soil 24 in the inner pot 3. Furthermore, the evaluation unit can have 13 separating resistors and / or inductors 21, so that signals can be provided for test purposes while minimizing the interfering effect of the measuring lines used. As can be seen in Fig. 2, the first capacitor electrode 14 and the second capacitor electrode 15 are arranged on an outer surface of the second part 5 of the outer pot 2. The first capacitor electrode 14 and the second capacitor electrode 15 are large and preferably have the same dimensions. The first capacitor electrode 14 and the second capacitor electrode 15 are arranged opposite each other on the outer surface of the side wall 9 of the second part 5. They are separated from each other only by an upright groove 22, the groove 22 extending on the inner surface of the side wall 9 from the bottom wall 8 to a free opening rim 23 of the inner part 5. The first capacitor electrode 14 and the second capacitor electrode 15 each extend at a circumferential angle φ of at least 40°, preferably in a range of 160° to 174°. In the present embodiment, the first capacitor electrode 14 and the second capacitor electrode 15 each extend along a circumferential angle φ of 175°. The circumferential angle φ extends in the circumferential direction U about an axis A of the second part 5. If the second part 5 is cylindrical, the first capacitor electrode 14 and the second capacitor electrode 15 are partially cylindrical. With respect to a median plane M of the second part 5, the first capacitor electrode 14 and the second capacitor electrode 15 are symmetrical to each other. The first capacitor electrode 14 and the second capacitor electrode 15 are each designed as an electrically conductive foil, for example, aluminum foil. They are bonded to the outer surface of the second part 5, for example, by adhesive (self-adhesive film). Alternatively, the capacitor electrodes 14, 15 can be formed by applying electrically conductive materials, for example, varnishes. The inner pot 3, which contains the potting soil 24 and the plant 25, preferably consists of a plastic material with a base wall 26 and a side wall 27 extending vertically from it. Usually, the base wall 26 has perforations so that moisture or water can also be supplied to the potting soil 24 from below, for example in the case of orchids. The second part 5 of the outer pot 2 is designed in such a way that the inner pot 3 can be inserted into it with some play. According to a further embodiment of the invention not covered by the claims shown in Fig. 4, a one-piece outer pot 2' is provided in which only a first capacitor electrode 14' is arranged on the outside of the outer pot 2'. A second capacitor electrode 15' projects from a bottom wall 8' of the outer pot 2', preferably being located in a sleeve integrally connected with the outer pot 2'. The first capacitor electrode 14' extends at a circumferential angle φ in a range between 272° and 355°. The first capacitor electrode 14' is interrupted only by a groove 22'. Alternatively, the component shown in Fig. 4 could also be an alternative second part 4 of the planter 2 shown in Fig. 1. According to a further embodiment of the invention not covered by the claims shown in Fig. 5, a planter 2" is formed in one piece, wherein the first capacitor electrode 14' is arranged on an outer surface of the side wall 28 and the second capacitor electrode 15' is arranged extending from a bottom wall 29. The planter 2" essentially corresponds to the planter 2' shown in Fig. 4, except that, in contrast, a side rib 30 projects from the side wall 28 for fastening the planter 2" to a vertical wall. According to a further embodiment of the invention as shown in Fig. 6, an intermediate pot 31 is provided with a base wall 32 and a side wall 33 extending vertically from it. This intermediate pot is arranged between a preferably one-piece, commercially available outer pot and the inner pot 3 which holds the potting soil. The intermediate pot 31 essentially corresponds to the shape of the second part 5 of the outer pot 2, except that, in contrast to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2 to 3, a base wall 32 is arranged directly or near the base wall 6 of the first part 4 of the outer pot 2. As with the second part 5, the first capacitor electrode 14 and the second capacitor electrode 15 are arranged on the outside of the intermediate pot 31, each with a cable 34 extending from the opening edge of the intermediate pot 31 to the evaluation unit 13 (not shown).Alternatively, the capacitor electrodes 14,15 can also be arranged on an inner side of the intermediate pot 31. The intermediate pot 31 differs from the second part 5 essentially in that its shape is adapted to the commercially available outer pot or the first part 4 of the outer pot 2. The evaluation unit 13 is therefore located outside the outer pot 2. Typically, the outer pots 2, 2', the inner pot 3 and the intermediate pot 31 have a stop ring 35 on the upper opening edge 23 ( Fig. 2 ).

Claims

Soil moisture device for plants with a housing for receiving the plants (25) and with a moisture measuring device (1) comprising a first capacitor electrode (14) and a second capacitor electrode (15) as well as an evaluation device (13), characterized in that the housing is designed in multiple parts comprising an inner pot (3) for receiving the plant soil (24), an intermediate pot (31) which surrounds the inner pot (3) at a bottom wall (26) and at a side wall (27) thereof, and an outer pot (2) which surrounds the intermediate pot (31) at a bottom wall (32) and at a side wall (33) thereof, and that the first capacitor electrode (14) and the second capacitor electrode (15) are designed with a large surface area, covering the outside of the intermediate pot (31) at a circumferential angle (φ) of at least 40°. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner pot (3) is made of a plastic material and that the bottom wall (26) and / or the side wall (27) of the inner pot (3) has perforations. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the intermediate pot (31) is designed such that the inner pot (3) can be inserted into the intermediate pot (31) with clearance. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first capacitor electrode (14) and the second capacitor electrode (15) are designed as an electrically conductive film or as a coating which is materially bonded to the outside of the intermediate pot (31). Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the first capacitor electrode (14) and the second capacitor electrode (15) extend in a partially cylindrical or partially conical shape. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that electrical cables (34) connected to the respective capacitor electrodes (14, 15) protrude from one side of the intermediate pot (31) with such a length that they can be connected to terminals of the evaluation device (13). Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the evaluation device (13) is connected to a solar panel (16) and / or to a supercapacitor (17) for powering the evaluation device (13).

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