Device for portioning and moistening cress seeds
A mechanical device for automated cress seed dispensing and moistening addresses the inefficiency of daily sowing by enabling continuous cress cultivation with automated daily sowing and harvesting, enhancing productivity and quality.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SANWALD CARLOS
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-25
AI Technical Summary
Existing methods for growing cress require daily sowing to maintain a continuous harvest, which is inefficient and time-consuming.
A mechanical device that automatically dispenses cress seeds onto a water basin with a sieve-like structure for continuous moistening, allowing for automated daily sowing and harvesting, using a gear and screw conveyor mechanism.
Enables continuous and efficient cress cultivation without daily manual intervention, ensuring optimal quality and productivity.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Growing cress for personal use is a simple process, where the seeds are typically scattered on a moist substrate or cotton wool. After a germination period of about 1-2 days and a subsequent growth phase of another 3-4 days, the cress is ready to harvest. However, after a total of about 6-8 days, it is overripe and no longer of optimal quality for consumption. Therefore, daily sowing is necessary for a continuous harvest. This recurring process is implemented by the device to be protected, which is operated via a manual, mechanical drive. The device is filled in the upper rear area by several reusable, sieve-like receiving carriers (T) (see Fig. 1). A rotary motion of the handle (G) activates a mechanical drive. A gear (Z) engages with the underside of the lowest support carriers (see Fig. 2) and advances them step by step. Simultaneously, the rotary motion drives a screw conveyor (S), which extracts the cress seeds from a storage container (B) and dispenses them evenly onto the support carriers via a discharge chute (A). The gear, screw conveyor, and handle are mechanically coupled and form a functional drive unit. The filled seed trays then slide into a water basin (W). There, they float on the water's surface, with the sieve-like structure ensuring continuous moistening of the seeds. During germination, the roots grow through the sieve structure towards the bottom of the basin. By operating the handle daily, the growing trays are advanced cyclically. After 4-6 days, a fully cultivated tray can be removed from the end of the water basin and the fresh cress harvested. After cleaning, the growing trays can be reinserted into the device and reused.
Claims
Device for portioning and moistening seeds, in particular cress seeds, comprising: • a plurality of separate receiving carriers for receiving defined portions of seeds, • a filling device for portioning seeds onto the receiving carriers, • and a transport device for moving the receiving carriers, characterized in that the receiving carriers can be fed to a moistening device by means of the transport device, wherein the receiving carriers are designed in such a way that the received seeds remain on the receiving carriers during moistening. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the filling device comprises a screw conveyor for metered dispensing of the seeds. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receiving carriers are plate-shaped. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the openings for moistening the seeds are arranged on the underside of the receiving carriers in such a way as to allow liquid passage. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receiving carriers are designed to be buoyant and float on a water surface. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the humidification device is designed as a water bath.