Hydroponic plant production system

Abstract

The invention relates to a hydroponic plant production system (100) comprising: (i) a base part (110); (ii) a head part (150); (iii) a support structure (140) which has at least two support elements (141), the support elements (141) being positioned between the base part (110) and the head part (150) so as to be individually removable and each comprising at least a first part of a fastening mechanism for attaching at least one plant holder (142); and (iv) the at least one plant holder (142) which comprises a second part of the fastening mechanism for attaching the plant holder (142) to a support element (141) such that the plant holder (142) is attached to the support element (141) in an individually removable manner by means of interaction between the first part and the second part of the fastening mechanism. The invention also relates to a plant holder (142) and to a carrier element (141).

Description

[0001] Hydroponic plant production system

[0002] Technical area

[0003] The invention relates to a hydroponic plant production system comprising a base part, a head part, a support structure, and at least one plant holder. The invention also relates to a plant holder and a support element.

[0004] State of the art

[0005] State-of-the-art hydroponic plant production systems are typically designed in such a way that, once assembled, they can only be disassembled or reconfigured with considerable effort. Furthermore, state-of-the-art hydroponic plant production systems often produce undesirable splashing noises, which can be caused by poorly controlled fluid movements within the hydroponic plant production system. State-of-the-art hydroponic plant production systems can also exhibit problems related to the heating of an interior space and the water circulating therein. Excessive heating, particularly caused by sunlight shining on the plant production system, can impair plant growth and increase the risk of the formation of undesirable microorganisms.Another problem with hydroponic plant production systems known from the prior art is the occurrence of mold in some poorly ventilated areas of the plant production system that come into contact with liquid. Description of the invention.

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide a hydroponic plant production system which eliminates at least some of the disadvantages of the hydroponic plant production systems known from the prior art.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the invention relates to a hydroponic plant production system comprising: (i) a base part, (ii) a head part, (iii) a support structure comprising at least two support elements, wherein the support elements are arranged between the base part and the head part in an individually removable manner and each comprise at least a first part of an attachment mechanism for attaching at least one plant holder, and (iv) the at least one plant holder comprising a second part of the attachment mechanism for attaching the plant holder to a support element, such that the plant holder is attached to the support element in an individually removably manner by means of interaction between the first part and the second part of the attachment mechanism.

[0008] A hydroponic plant production system according to the invention can be used for cultivating crops, in particular for fruit and vegetable production, for cultivating medicinal plants, for rooting cuttings, for cultivating ornamental plants, or for cultivating edible mushrooms. Plant holders of a hydroponic plant production system according to the invention are designed to accommodate plants. The plant holder can be configured such that a support substrate, into which a plant can be inserted, can be inserted into the plant holder. Alternatively, the plant holder can also be configured such that a plant can be inserted into the plant holder without an additional support substrate.

[0009] A hydroponic plant production system according to the invention is modular in design and allows for flexible configuration, particularly with regard to the height of the hydroponic plant production system by selecting support elements with desired dimensions and with regard to the spacing between the plant holders. In contrast to hydroponic plant production systems known from the prior art, individually removable support elements and individually removable plant holders attached to the support elements of a plant production system according to the invention also enable easy assembly, disassembly, and modification of the plant production system according to the invention.For example, plants can be inserted into a plant holder that is not yet attached to a support element, which is only attached to the support element after a plant has been inserted. This can sometimes simplify insertion, since positioning a plant holder advantageous for inserting a plant can be accomplished more easily in the case of a plant holder that is not yet attached to a support element than in the case of a plant holder that is already attached to a support element, since in the latter case the support element must also be positioned. For harvesting plants, in turn, it can be advantageous to first remove support elements with attached plant holders individually from the plant production system according to the invention and then position them in such a way that harvesting can be carried out in a simplified and automated manner.Furthermore, support elements of a plant production system according to the invention can also be easily replaced by other support elements to which a different number of plant holders can be attached.

[0010] The first fastening mechanism and the second fastening mechanism are configured such that their interaction results in a fastening mechanism that secures a plant holder to a support element. The first and second fastening mechanisms are, in particular, configured such that a plant holder attached to a support element can be individually removed therefrom.

[0011] In one embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the support structure is formed as a tower-like structure.

[0012] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the support structure comprises eight support elements and a substantially octagonal base. In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the support elements extend continuously from the base part to the head part.

[0013] Alternatively, at least one intermediate part can be arranged between the base part and the head part, in which case the support elements do not extend continuously from the base part to the head part. In the case of a hydroponic plant production system with a base part, an intermediate part, and a head part, for example, a first part of the support elements can extend continuously from the base part to the intermediate part, and a second part of the support elements can extend continuously from the intermediate part to the head part. Hydroponic plant production systems can generally also have more than one intermediate part. This advantageously allows the height of the hydroponic plant production system to be easily configured.

[0014] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the plant holder has a liquid reservoir.

[0015] A plant placed in the plant holder can draw nutrients, water and oxygen from the liquid present in the liquid reservoir.

[0016] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the support elements are each panel-shaped and have at least one cavity, wherein the at least one cavity extends continuously along a longitudinal axis, which runs in particular from the base part to the head part, of the respective panel-shaped support element.

[0017] Due to the hollow space, the support elements can be lighter than comparable support elements without a hollow space, whereby a reduced weight can simplify the assembly, disassembly, and modification of the hydroponic plant production system according to the invention. The support elements can preferably be panel-shaped, i.e., essentially flat, cuboid-shaped with a significantly greater length and width than depth, whereby the longitudinal direction of the support elements can extend between the head part and the base part. The at least one hollow space can also serve as an insulator and thermally shield an interior region from an exterior region onto which, for example, sunlight shines, and thereby reduce the heating of a liquid circulating in the interior region.

[0018] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the panel-shaped support elements each have at least two separate cavities.

[0019] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, an insulating material is arranged within a first cavity of the mutually separated cavities of at least one panel-shaped support element, and / or the first cavity is designed to supply a gas to the plant holder.

[0020] An insulating material, such as a thermally insulating foam, arranged in a cavity of the panel-shaped support element can help to thermally insulate one side of the support element from an opposite side. In the case of a tower-like structure of the hydroponic plant production system, inner and outer sides can be defined, which result directly from the design of the tower-like structure. Liquids flowing on the inner sides facing the interior of the tower-like structure can thus be at least partially protected from heating, which can be caused, for example, by sunlight shining on the outer sides of the tower-like structure: this can provide more stable conditions for optimal plant growth.Furthermore, the cavities can advantageously be used to conduct gases, particularly carbon dioxide, to the plant supports attached to the support element, thereby accelerating plant growth. Gases can be conducted through a cavity that also partially contains insulating material, or alternatively, through a cavity without insulating material. A cavity can also be used solely for thermal insulation and completely filled with insulating foam, so that no gas is conducted through such a cavity.In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, a first panel-shaped support element and a second panel-shaped support element of the panel-shaped support elements each have at least two sealing lips extending completely along the longitudinal axis, wherein the at least two sealing lips of the first and second panel-shaped support elements adjoin one another at a sealing gap and are spaced from one another such that only gaseous media, in particular air, can flow through the sealing gap.

[0021] The panel-shaped support elements can be configured to have two substantially parallel sides, which in the case of a tower-like structure of the hydroponic plant production system each form an inner and an outer side, and two slanted sides that connect the two substantially parallel sides. In particular, the inner side of a panel-shaped support element can have a smaller width than the corresponding outer side. The panel-shaped support elements can each be constructed symmetrically about a central plane running along a longitudinal direction of the support element. In the case of a tower-like structure of the plant production system, the longitudinal direction of the support element can correspond to the longitudinal direction of the plant production system, i.e., it can extend between the base part and the head part.The width of the inner and outer sides and, based thereon, the angles between the inner and outer sides and the two sloping sides can be designed such that panel-shaped support elements that are closely adjacent to one another on the sloping sides form a tower-like structure on a polygon-like base area, wherein the base area can be designed in particular as an octagon in the case of eight panel-shaped support elements.

[0022] To prevent, for example, a liquid, especially splash water, flowing along the inside of a panel-shaped support element from entering the interface between two closely adjacent panel-shaped support elements and causing moisture and mold problems, sealing lips, especially multi-stage sealing lips, can be used. Sealing lips can be attached to each of the two sloping sides of the panel-shaped support element, with the sealing lips of one panel-shaped support element interacting with the corresponding sealing lips of an adjacent panel-shaped support element to achieve a sealing effect.A sealing lip in the region of a first inclined side of a panel-shaped support element can be bent such that it adjoins a correspondingly curved sealing lip on a second inclined side of an adjacent panel-shaped support element in the region of a sealing gap and, together with the adjacent sealing lip, forms a sealing chamber that is spatially separated from the interface. These two curved sealing lips can be designed such that a sealing plane running centrally through the sealing gap encompasses the interface, i.e., the interface and the corresponding sealing gap can lie essentially in a common plane.The sealing gap can preferably be dimensioned such that liquids are largely prevented from flowing through and as little light as possible can penetrate into the sealing chamber, while gases, especially air, can flow through the sealing gap. This can further prevent the formation of mold and algae in the area of ​​the interfaces. The two curved sealing lips of adjacent panel-shaped support elements can therefore be slightly spaced apart from each other in the area of ​​the sealing gap, i.e., they do not lie tightly against one another.

[0023] The sealing lips can be formed from the same material as the rest of the panel-shaped support element, which can be designed, in particular, as an extrusion, allowing the sealing lips to have a long service life, especially since the sealing lips do not directly touch each other. This can further simplify the assembly, disassembly, or modification of the hydroponic plant production system, as no additional sealing lips, especially soft sealing lips, are required, which are not part of the support element but must be installed separately. Alternatively, the sealing lips can also be made of a soft material.

[0024] In an alternative embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, a panel-shaped support element has only one sealing lip extending completely along its longitudinal axis. Such a support element with only one sealing lip can, for example, be mounted on a wall, wherein one sealing lip of the support element can be located in the region of the support element facing away from the wall. In the region facing away from the wall, such a support element with only one sealing lip can then in turn be contacted by a support element with, for example, two sealing lips. The at least two sealing lips can generally also be distributed asymmetrically with respect to the panel-shaped support element.For example, two sealing lips can be arranged at one end of the support element, which together with two sealing lips of an adjacent support element form two sealing chambers, and no sealing lip can be arranged at the other end of the support element, which is connected, for example, to a wall.

[0025] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the panel-shaped support elements each have a fluid flow contour on one side, in particular oriented towards an interior of the tower-like structure.

[0026] A liquid, in particular containing water and nutrients for plants in the plant holders, can, in the case of a tower-like structure, be guided along the inner sides of the panel-shaped support elements from the head part to the base part. For this purpose, each panel-shaped support element can have a fluid flow contour, in particular designed as two mutually parallel ribs extending along a longitudinal direction of the panel-shaped support element. The fluid flow contour enables controlled fluid flow along the inner side of a panel-shaped support element.

[0027] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the head part has a distribution device which is designed to guide the liquid to the support elements, in particular to the sides of the support elements with a fluid flow contour.

[0028] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the distribution device has funnel-shaped supply lines to the support elements that descend from a center point. If the hydroponic plant production system is constructed as a tower-like structure, the distribution device can be arranged centrally, i.e., in the interior of the tower-like structure; the center point of the distribution device can, in particular, be located on a main axis of the tower-like structure. The number of supply lines can correspond to the number of support elements, in particular panel-shaped support elements.One advantage of supply lines sloping downwards from the center is that, despite a possible slight tilt of the tower-like structure, for example, in the range of up to 5° (the exact angle can generally depend on the specific design of the distribution device and can be greater than 5° depending on the design), relative to a direction in which gravity acts, liquid can still be guided to the sides of the support elements with fluid flow contours solely due to the effect of gravity. This facilitates the construction of the hydroponic plant production system, as certain tolerances in positioning remain essentially harmless to the operation of the plant production system. The funnel-like design of the supply lines, in turn, can ensure that the liquid is guided to the sides of the support elements with fluid flow contours over a wide area and at a reduced speed when the amount of liquid is increased.

[0029] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the support structure comprises additional support elements.

[0030] Additional support elements can contribute to improved stability of the hydroponic plant production system.

[0031] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the base part comprises a foldable tank designed to receive and store the liquid. A pump in the base part and a supply pipe, in particular arranged centrally in the tower-like structure and part of the additional support elements, are designed to convey the liquid from the tank to the distribution device. A foldable tank can be easily stored and shipped in a space-saving manner when dismantling or reconstructing the hydroponic plant production system. The foldable tank can form a reservoir in which liquid, in particular water with additional nutrients, can be present.A pump in the base section, in turn, can transport the fluid from the collapsible tank to the distribution device in the head section through the supply pipe, which can form an additional support element and on which an additional support mechanism can be arranged, indirectly connecting the support elements to the supply pipe. A nozzle can be arranged at the transition between the supply pipe and the distribution device, which can evenly direct the fluid flowing through the supply pipe to the supply lines of the distribution device.

[0032] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the fastening mechanism is designed such that an excess liquid in the liquid reservoir can be discharged through at least one opening of the attached plant holder to the side of the support element with fluid flow contour.

[0033] The plant holder and support element, as well as the corresponding fastening mechanism, can be configured such that liquid flowing along the fluid flow contour enters the attached plant holder in such a way that it initially flows toward the liquid reservoir. As soon as the reservoir is filled, newly flowing liquid toward the plant holder, as well as liquid already present in the liquid reservoir, can each partially leave the plant holder through the at least one opening and flow via the part of the support element located below the plant holder toward another plant holder and / or toward the base part. Flow through the at least one opening, which is located in the attached plant holder near the side of the support element with the fluid flow contour, enables controlled flow without significant noise generation.The at least one opening allows for a continuous fluid exchange in the fluid reservoir, as incoming fluid can gradually replace the fluid present in the fluid reservoir. The plant holder can be attached to the support element by means of the fastening mechanism such that the fluid reservoir is positioned substantially below the at least one opening in the direction of gravity.

[0034] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the first part of the fastening mechanism is provided at least partially by a through-hole in the support element, the diameter profile of which is adapted to the plant holder and which has a first diameter on the side of the support element with fluid flow contour and a second diameter on the opposite side of the support element, and the second part of the fastening mechanism has a first and a second collar contour for engagement with the support element.

[0035] The first diameter can be smaller than the second diameter, and a circumference of the first collar contour can also be smaller than a circumference of the second collar contour. The circumference of the first collar contour and the circumference of the second collar contour can be designed such that after insertion of the plant holder into the through-hole, wherein the insertion can occur from the opposite side, in particular the outside, towards the side with the fluid flow contour, in particular the inside, the first collar contour surrounds the hole on the inside and the second collar contour surrounds the hole on the outside of the support element. After attaching the plant holder to the support element, the first collar contour can remain in particular in a cavity of a panel-shaped support element, and the second collar contour can remain outside the support element.

[0036] The distance between the first collar contour and the second collar contour can be adapted to the support element in such a way that the two collar contours prevent the plant holder from being pushed completely through the hole through the support element. The at least one opening in the plant holder can be located on a part of the plant holder that, after being attached to the support element, has been pushed completely through the support element and remains outside the support element. In the case of a tower-like structure of the hydroponic plant production system, the at least one opening of the attached plant holder can therefore be arranged entirely inside the tower-like structure.The dimensioning of the hole through the support element can generally be such that the attached plant holder can be fixed essentially precisely in the support element and cannot be pushed completely through the through hole.

[0037] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the second part of the fastening mechanism comprises two wing elements that fasten the attached plant holder to the side of the support element with a fluid flow contour, wherein the fastening mechanism is configured to provide a snap-in engagement of the plant holder to the support element.

[0038] The two wing elements can be located on a part of the plant holder that has been pushed completely through the support element for attaching the plant holder to the support element and remains outside the support element after attachment. The two wing elements can be located on opposite parts of the plant holder, wherein a distance between these two opposite parts can be designed such that the two wing elements are bent towards the plant holder when pushed through the hole in the inside of a support element and fold back again after being pushed through, thus fixing the plant holder to the support element. The support element can have two locking structures that correspond to a shape of the two wing elements and into which the two wing elements can lock, thus making it more difficult for the inserted plant holder to twist.

[0039] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the second part of the fastening mechanism comprises an inclined contour between the first and the second collar contour, wherein the inclined contour additionally forms a sealing element within a second cavity of the separate cavities.

[0040] Liquid located on the side with the fluid flow contour can, for example, penetrate into a second cavity of a panel-shaped support element due to slight inaccuracies in the fit between the plant holder and the support element, or more generally, penetrate into the second cavity due to leakage, particularly via the capillary effect. The inclined contour can extend diagonally from the outside to the inside through the through hole, acting as a sealing element and also forming a support surface on which the outside of the support element can contact the attached plant holder.

[0041] In a further embodiment of the hydroponic plant production system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the support elements and the plant holder can be individually removed without tools by tilting, pulling or pushing movements, and / or the support elements and the plant holder are designed as injection-molded parts and / or as extrusion parts.

[0042] The hydroponic plant production system can thus be easily assembled, reconstructed, and dismantled. The two wing elements, which can provide a snap-in connection for the plant holder to the support element, can be designed in such a way that tilting the plant holder toward the head section, i.e., upwards, allows the snap-in connection to be released.

[0043] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the invention relates to a plant holder for attachment to a support element of a hydroponic plant production system, wherein the plant holder comprises: (i) a liquid reservoir, (ii) a second part of a fastening mechanism which is designed to interact with a first part of a fastening mechanism of a support element, and (iii) at least one opening through which excess liquid in the liquid reservoir can be discharged.

[0044] In one embodiment of the plant holder according to the second aspect of the present invention, the second part of the fastening mechanism has a first and a second collar contour for engagement with the support element, and / or the second part of the fastening mechanism has two wing elements which are designed for snapping the plant holder onto the support element.

[0045] According to a third aspect of the present invention, the invention relates to a support element of a hydroponic plant production system, wherein the support element has at least a first part of a fastening mechanism for attaching at least one plant holder to the support element.

[0046] In one embodiment of the support element according to the third aspect of the present invention, the support element is panel-shaped and has at least one cavity, wherein the at least one cavity extends continuously along a longitudinal axis of the support element.

[0047] In a further embodiment of the support element according to the third aspect of the present invention, the panel-shaped support element has at least two separate cavities, wherein an insulating material is arranged within a first cavity of the separate cavities and / or wherein the first cavity is designed to conduct a gas and / or wherein a second cavity of the separate cavities is designed to conduct a liquid.

[0048] In a further embodiment of the support element according to the third aspect of the present invention, the panel-shaped support element has a fluid flow contour on one side, and the panel-shaped support element has at least two sealing lips extending completely along the longitudinal axis, and the first part of the fastening mechanism has a through hole in the support element, the diameter profile of which is adapted to the plant holder and which has a first diameter on the side of the support element with the fluid flow contour and a second diameter on the opposite side of the support element.

[0049] In an alternative embodiment of the support element according to the third aspect of the present invention, the panel-shaped support element has only one sealing lip extending completely along the longitudinal axis.

[0050] Further advantageous embodiments and combinations of features of the invention emerge from the following detailed description and the entirety of the patent claims. Brief description of the drawings

[0051] The drawings used to explain the embodiment show:

[0052] Fig. 1 shows a hydroponic plant production system with a tower-like support structure.

[0053] Fig. 2 shows a section of a support element and a plant holder.

[0054] Fig. 3 shows views of a plant holder from different perspectives.

[0055] Fig. 4 shows a section of a support element with sealing lips.

[0056] Fig. 5 shows a support element with attached plant holder.

[0057] Fig. 6 shows a distribution device and a section of a head part.

[0058] Fig. 7 shows a hydroponic plant production system with a tower-like support structure with an intermediate part.

[0059] In principle, identical parts in the figures are provided with identical reference symbols.

[0060] Ways to implement the invention

[0061] Fig. 1 shows a hydroponic plant production system with a tower-like support structure, where Fig. 1a shows an overall view of the hydroponic plant production system from the outside, Fig. 1b shows the upper part of Fig. 1a enlarged and Fig. 1c shows a representation of the additional (primary) support elements.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 1a, the hydroponic plant production system 100 comprises a base part 110, a support structure 140 having support elements 141, a head part 150, and plant holders 142 attached to the support elements 141. For illustrative purposes, a support element 141 is cut open in the upper region of Fig. 1a near the head part 150, with the corresponding region of the hydroponic plant production system being shown enlarged in Fig. 1b.

[0063] As suggested in Fig. 1 b, the head part 150 comprises an upper closure that prevents splash water from penetrating to the outside, and a distribution device (not shown) with funnel-shaped supply lines designed to guide liquid to the insides of the support elements 141. The upper closure is designed such that the support elements 141 can be positioned on the head part 150. The support elements 141 are panel-shaped and include cavities 145 (the cut-open support element 141 in Fig. 1 b includes three cavities). The support elements 141 further have sealing lips 147 that, by interacting with sealing lips of adjacent support elements 141, are designed to at least partially seal connecting regions of adjacent support elements 141.A plant holder 142 is attached to a support element 141 and supported by the support element 141. The plant holder 142 is mounted on the support element 141 in such a way that the plant holder 142 absorbs liquid from the inside of the support elements 141 and stores it, at least temporarily, in a liquid reservoir 143. Roots of a plant placed in the plant holder 142 can draw liquid from the liquid reservoir 143.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 1c, the hydroponic plant production system has a supply pipe 144 between the base part 110 and the head part 140, through which liquid is transported from the base part 110 to the head part 150. The supply pipe 144 can be designed as a double pipe having two extrusion profiles that are pushed into one another. The outer pipe of the supply pipe 144 can act as a support element and hold the tower-like hydroponic plant production system, and liquid can be transported through the inner pipe of the supply pipe 144. A ring 137a attached to the supply pipe 144 can serve to hold the support elements 141, wherein the support elements 141 can have corresponding receiving openings 137b for this purpose (not shown). The pipe shown in Fig.The part of the base part 110 shown in Fig. 1c serves to position the support elements 141 and provides a connection for the supply pipe 144 to convey liquid from a tank in the base part 110 into the supply pipe 144. Furthermore, the part of the base part 110 shown in Fig. 1c is also an interface, in particular comprising a gear ring, for rotating the hydroponic plant production system, ie, the tower-like support structure 140 can be rotated about its longitudinal axis 146.

[0065] Fig. 2 shows a section of a support element 141 and a plant holder 142. The plant holder 142 has a first 133 and a second 134 collar contour (visible in Fig. 2b), wherein the second collar contour 134, in the case of the attached plant holder 142, as shown in Fig. 2a, lies flat on an outer side of the support element 141. As visible in Fig. 2b, the support element 141 has a through-hole 132 through which the plant holder 142 is pushed. Fig. 2c shows a plan view of an inner side of the support element 141 with two plant holders 142 attached thereto. The attached plant holders are each fixed to the support element 141 by means of two wing elements 135, wherein the two wing elements 135 snap into place after the plant holder 142 is inserted through the through-hole.On the inside of the support element 141 is a fluid flow contour 149 that guides liquid on the inside of the support element 141. The fluid flow contour 149 comprises two ribs that guide liquid exiting through openings 131 in the plant holder to a lower-lying plant holder 142. The openings 137b shown in Fig. 2c serve to hold the support element 141 to a collar 137a that is attached to the supply pipe 144.

[0066] Fig. 3 shows views of a plant holder 142 from different perspectives. The plant holder 142 has a liquid reservoir 143, a first 133 and second 134 collar contour, an inclined contour 136, two wing elements 135, and two openings 131. At a connection point 138 between the inclined contour 136 and the second collar contour 134, a portion of the support element 141 can contact the inserted plant holder 142. As shown in Fig. 3d, the two openings 131 are arranged at an outward angle so that an overflow from the liquid reservoir 143 corresponds to a supplied water quantity and can be passively regulated. The central rib visible in Fig. 3d between the two openings 131 serves to hold a substrate inserted into the plant holder 142, into which a plant can be inserted, in position and to prevent it from slipping through the plant holder 142.The two wing elements 135 of the plant holder 142, which are arranged in particular laterally, are designed such that they snap into place to fix a plant holder 142 attached to the support element 141. The two wing elements 135 are designed in particular such that tilting the plant holder 142 upward, i.e., toward the head part 150, allows for easy release of the snap connection. As shown in Fig. 3b and Fig. 3c, the plant holder 142 also has further ribs 129, which space the inclined contour 136 from the second collar contour 134 and also serve to position the plant holder 142 in the support element 141.

[0067] The inclined contour 136 prevents liquid from leaking into an externally visible area of ​​the hydroponic plant production system, particularly due to a capillary effect at a transition between the inside of the support element and the first collar contour 133 into a cavity 145 of the support element 141, and directs the liquid in the cavity 145 back to a wall of the inside of the support element 141 bordering the cavity 145. The plant holder 142 is designed such that the liquid depot 143 lies below the openings 131, creating a liquid reservoir, particularly with a 3 ml absorption capacity, which can be flushed with each irrigation cycle. The roots of a planted plant can be supplied with liquid continuously, i.e., over a period of time, via the liquid depot 143.

[0068] Fig. 4 shows a section of a support element with sealing lips. The support element shown in Fig. 4a has three cavities 145, wherein air, carbon dioxide, or other gases can be transported through the two lateral cavities 145, and wherein the central cavity 145 is designed to drain leakage water. The support element 141 can have, in particular at the level of a through-hole 132 in which a plant holder 142 is attached to the support element 141, at least one additional opening on the outside (not shown) in the region of the lateral cavities 145, through which the gas in the lateral cavities 145 can partially escape. This allows a plant inserted in the plant holder 142 to be supplied with gases or cooled by supplied air, which can promote plant growth. Four curved sealing lips 147 are located on the inside of a support element 141 shown in Fig. 4a.As shown in Fig. 4b, a sealing effect is provided by the interaction of sealing lips 147 of adjacent support elements 141. Adjacent support elements 141 border one another at an interface 139. As can be seen in Fig. 4b with the aid of a sealing plane running through the interface 139 and through the two sealing gaps 148 and shown in dashed lines, the interface 139 is protected by the sealing lips 147 such that splash water from an interior of the tower-like hydroponic plant production system can penetrate at most as far as the interface 139 if the splash water moves substantially within the sealing plane. The two sealing lips 147 of adjacent support elements 141 each comprise two sealing chambers. Since the sealing lips 147 extend along the entire longitudinal axis of the support element, splash water that enters the sealing chambers is guided downwards in the sealing chambers to the base part 110.One dimension of the two sealing gaps 148 is preferably selected such that little liquid is allowed through the sealing gap and that at the same time an air exchange can take place through the sealing gap 148.

[0069] Fig. 5 shows a support element with an attached plant holder. Fig. 5a shows a top view of the outside of the support element 141, with the support element 141 and the attached plant holder 142 cut open in the middle, so that part of the interior of the support element and the plant holder is visible. The two collar contours 133, 134, one opening 131 of the two openings 131, the liquid reservoir 143, and part of the inclined contour 136 are visible. In the section through the support element shown in Fig. 5b, the two collar contours 133, 134 and the inclined contour 136 are visible. At the contact point between the first collar contour 133 and the support element 141, liquid can leak into the cavity 145, wherein the inclined contour 136 prevents the penetrated liquid from leaving the cavity 145 in the direction of an outer region of the tower-like hydroponic plant production system.

[0070] Fig. 6 shows a distribution device and a section of a head section with the upper closure removed (shown in Fig. 1a and Fig. 1b). The distribution device 151 is designed to guide liquid evenly to the support elements 141. Via a central nozzle 152, which has lateral slots, water is guided to supply lines 153 descending from the nozzle. The supply lines 153 are each constructed symmetrically, with a lowest point of the respective supply line 153 located at any distance from the nozzle 152 in the middle of the respective supply line 153. Liquid is thus first guided centrally through the respective supply lines 153, and only when a larger amount of liquid is present does the liquid migrate to the higher lateral areas of the supply lines 153. The sections of the supply lines 153 adjacent to the inner sides of the support elements 141 are designed at an angle, i.e.The central region of each supply line 153 is closer to the inner side of the support elements than the more lateral regions of the respective supply line 153: thus, even with a small amount of liquid, the liquid in the center of the inner sides of the support elements is directed downwards toward the attached plant holders and the base part 110. At a contact point 155 of the respective supply lines 153, the distribution device can touch the inner sides of the support elements 141.

[0071] Fig. 7 shows a hydroponic plant production system with a tower-like support structure with an intermediate part. Fig. 7a basically corresponds to Fig. 1c, wherein in Fig. 7a an intermediate part 154 is shown in addition to Fig. 1c. As shown in Fig. 7b, a first part of support elements can extend from the base part 110 to the intermediate part 154 and a second part of support elements can extend from the intermediate part 154 to the head part 150, wherein the hydroponic plant production system shown is further designed such that liquid flows from the head part 150 to the base part 110 along the inner sides of the support elements, i.e. the intermediate part 154 is designed such that in the region of the intermediate part 154 liquid is guided from the inner sides of the support elements of the second part of support elements to the inner sides of the support elements of the first part of support elements.

Claims

Patent claims 1. A hydroponic plant production system (100), comprising: a base part (110), a head part (150), a support structure (140) having at least two support elements (141), wherein the support elements (141) are arranged between the base part (110) and the head part (150) in an individually removable manner and each have at least a first part of a fastening mechanism for attaching at least one plant holder (142), and the at least one plant holder (142) having a second part of the fastening mechanism for attaching the plant holder (142) to a support element (141), such that the plant holder (142) is attached to the support element (141) in an individually removably manner by means of interaction between the first part and the second part of the fastening mechanism.

2. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the support structure (140) is designed as a tower-like structure.

3. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to claim 2, wherein the support structure (140) comprises eight support elements (141) and has a substantially octagonal base area.

4. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support elements (141) extend continuously from the base part (110) to the head part (150).

5. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the plant holder (142) has a liquid reservoir (143).

6. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support elements (141) are each panel-shaped and have at least one cavity (145), wherein the at least one cavity (145) extends continuously along a longitudinal axis (146), which runs in particular from the base part (110) to the head part (150), of the respective panel-shaped support element (141).

7. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to claim 6, wherein the panel-shaped support elements (141) each have at least two separate cavities (145).

8. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to claim 7, wherein an insulating material is arranged within a first cavity (145) of the mutually separate cavities (145) of at least one panel-shaped support element (141) and / or wherein the first cavity (145) is designed to supply a gas to the plant holder (142).

9. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to one of claims 6 to 8, wherein a first panel-shaped support element (141) and a second panel-shaped support element (141) of the panel-shaped support elements (141) each have at least two sealing lips (147) extending completely along the longitudinal axis (146), wherein the at least two sealing lips (147) of the first (141) and second (141) panel-shaped support element each adjoin one another at a sealing gap (148) and are spaced apart from one another such that only gaseous media, in particular air, can flow through the sealing gap (148).

10. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the panel-shaped support elements (145) each have a fluid flow contour (149) on one side, in particular oriented towards an interior of the tower-like structure. 1 1. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the head part (150) has a distribution device (151) which is designed to guide the liquid to the support elements (141), in particular to the sides of the support elements with fluid flow contour (149).

12. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to claim 1 1, wherein the distribution device (151) has funnel-like supply lines (153) descending from a center point (152) to the support elements (141).

13. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support structure (140) has additional support elements (137a, 137b, 144).

14. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the base part (110) has a foldable tank which is designed to receive and store the liquid, and wherein a pump in the base part and a supply pipe (144), in particular arranged centrally in the tower-like structure and part of the additional support elements (144), are designed to guide the liquid from the tank to the distribution device (151).

15. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the fastening mechanism is designed such that an excess liquid in the liquid reservoir (143) can be discharged through at least one opening (131) of the attached plant holder (142) to the side of the support element (141) with fluid flow contour (149).

16. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first part of the fastening mechanism is provided at least partially by a through-hole (132) in the support element (141), the diameter profile of which is adapted to the plant holder (142) and which has a first diameter on the side of the support element (141) with fluid flow contour (149) and a second diameter on the opposite side of the support element (141), and wherein the second part of the fastening mechanism has a first (133) and a second (134) collar contour for engagement with the support element (141).

17. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second part of the fastening mechanism comprises two wing elements (135) which secure the attached plant holder (142) to the side of the Support element (141) with fluid flow contour (149), wherein the fastening mechanism is designed to provide a snap-in of the plant holder (142) on the support element (141).

18. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second part of the fastening mechanism comprises an inclined contour (136) between the first (133) and the second (134) collar contour, wherein the inclined contour (136) additionally forms a sealing element within a second cavity (145) of the separate cavities (145).

19. Hydroponic plant production system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support elements (141) and the plant holder (142) can be removed individually without tools by tilting, pulling or pushing movements, and / or wherein the support elements (141) and the plant holder (142) are designed as injection-molded parts and / or as extruded parts.

20. Plant holder (142) for attachment to a support element (141) of a hydroponic plant production system (100), the plant holder comprising (i) a liquid reservoir (143), (ii) a second part of a fastening mechanism which is designed to interact with a first part of a fastening mechanism of a support element (141), and (iii) at least one opening (131) through which excess liquid in the liquid reservoir (143) can be discharged.

21. Plant holder (142) according to claim 20, wherein the second part of the fastening mechanism has a first (133) and a second (134) collar contour for engagement with the support element (141), and / or wherein the second part of the fastening mechanism has two wing elements (135) which are designed to snap the plant holder (142) onto the support element (141).

22. A support element (141) of a hydroponic plant production system (100), wherein the support element (141) comprises at least a first part of a fastening mechanism for attaching at least one plant holder (142) to the support element (141).

23. Support element (141) according to claim 22, wherein the support element (141) is panel-shaped and has at least one cavity (145), wherein the at least one cavity (145) extends continuously along a longitudinal axis (146) of the support element (141).

24. Support element (141) according to claim 23, wherein the panel-shaped support element (141) has at least two separate cavities (145), wherein an insulating material is arranged within a first cavity (145) of the separate cavities (145) and / or wherein the first cavity (145) is designed to conduct a gas and / or wherein a second cavity (145) of the separate cavities (145) is designed to conduct a liquid.

25. Support element (141) according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the panel-shaped support element (141) has a fluid flow contour (149) on one side, and wherein the panel-shaped support element (141) has at least two sealing lips (147) extending completely along the longitudinal axis (146), and wherein the first part of the fastening mechanism has a through hole (132) in the support element (141), the diameter profile of which is adapted to the plant holder (142) and which has a first diameter on the side of the support element (141) with the fluid flow contour (149) and a second diameter on the opposite side of the support element (141).

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