Modular plant cultivation system for controlled cultivation of photoperiodic plants in interior spaces

Abstract

The invention relates to a modular plant cultivation system (100) for controlled cultivation and / or controlled breeding of plants in interior spaces, wherein the plant cultivation system (100) comprises at least one carcass (10) having an access opening (11), which can be closed or is closed by at least one swinging door (12) of the plant cultivation system (100). A peripheral seal (13) is arranged around the access opening (11) on the door side and / or on the carcass side in order to light-tightly and air-tightly close the plant cultivation system in the connecting region between the carcass and the swinging door when the swinging door is closed.

Description

[0001] Modular plant cultivation system for controlled cultivation

[0002] of photoperiodic plants indoors

[0003] Technical field

[0004] The invention relates to a modular plant cultivation system for the controlled cultivation and / or controlled rearing of photoperiodic plants indoors, wherein the plant cultivation system has at least one body with an access opening which can be closed or is closed by at least one swing door of the plant cultivation system.

[0005] State of the art

[0006] Many existing plant cultivation systems offer very limited accessibility, stability, and flexibility in terms of their modularity and adaptability. For example, smaller systems often only feature a single swing door spanning the entire height of the system. Larger systems, such as those exceeding half a square meter, often have user-unfriendly multi-part swing doors, sliding doors, or zippered systems.

[0007] In practice, a self-assembly kit is also known, allowing users to build a plant growing system of the aforementioned type in their desired size from prefabricated parts. With this system, the user assembles aluminum profiles into a frame for a cabinet body and a door, and then covers the desired surfaces with cladding, such as chipboard or soundproofing panels. This creates a cabinet serving as a growing space, which can be opened at the front with a swing door. A sealing strip is inserted between the door and the cabinet body at all four edges of the door opening. With the appropriate choice of cladding, this cabinet is opaque, so that its contents cannot be seen from the outside.However, this self-built cabinet is not ideal for truly well-controlled cultivation of photoperiodic plants, as even small amounts of stray light, such as can occur with merely "opaque" constructions, can lead to serious physiological disturbances (e.g., hermaphroditism) in plant growth. Description of the invention: problem, solution, advantages.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to improve a modular plant cultivation system of the type mentioned above for growing plants indoors in such a way that, firstly, it has sufficiently high stability even with larger dimensions, secondly, it still offers user-friendly accessibility, flexibility and modularity, and thirdly, it enables the optimal, controlled cultivation and / or controlled rearing of photoperiodic plants in a more secure manner.

[0009] According to the invention, a modular plant cultivation system according to claim 1 is provided for this purpose, wherein a circumferential seal is arranged around the access opening on the door side and / or body side in order to close the plant cultivation system in a light-tight and airtight manner in the connection area between the body and the swing door when the swing door is closed.

[0010] The plant growing system is preferably designed in a cabinet-like form. The ratio of the external dimensions can vary depending on requirements. For example, the height and width of the cabinet-like plant growing system can vary both proportionally and in absolute terms.

[0011] According to the invention, the modular plant cultivation system does not have sliding doors or zipper systems, but explicitly a swing door or several swing doors which close(s) the access opening. The modular plant cultivation system according to the invention thus also features a swing door or several swing doors even with larger dimensions, for example, dimensions exceeding 0.5 m. 2 floor area or even over 1 m² 2 The modular plant cultivation system according to the invention completely eliminates the need for sliding doors or zipper systems. The system features a base area and, regardless of height, one or more swing doors.

[0012] In the context of the present invention, controlled plant cultivation means that the modular plant cultivation system is largely sealed to be lightproof and airtight, enabling the cultivation and / or rearing of plants under controlled climatic conditions within the system, adapted to their specific needs. This also makes possible, for example, the desired cultivation and / or rearing of photoperiodic plants. According to the invention, the plant cultivation system is sufficiently, preferably completely, airtight and lightproof sealed in the connection area between the body and the swing door, particularly through the suitable design and arrangement of the circumferential seal on the body and / or the swing door, and / or the suitable design of the body and / or the swing door in the area of ​​or adjacent to the circumferential seal itself, when the swing door is closed.Inside the modular plant cultivation system, a lighting system and / or a climate control system are preferably arranged. These can preferably be controlled individually or adapted to the respective plant species.

[0013] The use of a practical swing door, as opposed to sliding doors or zipper systems, ensures that even larger systems or modular plant cultivation systems with greater dimensions offer optimal accessibility through the access opening. In the modular plant cultivation system according to the invention, this does not reduce flexibility and modularity, and even increases stability. Preferably, the at least one swing door is designed as a single piece in the vertical direction, independent of the dimensions of the plant cultivation system.

[0014] Preferably, the body of the modular plant growing system comprises a first frame structure with profiles, in particular aluminum profiles, magnesium profiles, or wood-plastic composite (WPG) profiles. The profiles of the first frame structure are connected to each other by means of screw connections or a joining technique. The profiles of the first frame structure of the body of the modular plant growing system are therefore not simply slotted together. The profiles of the first frame structure are screwed together via through holes. Through holes can be arranged in the end faces of the vertical profiles of the first frame structure and / or along the profiles. The adjacent profiles can have a mating thread on their end faces for this purpose.Through-holes, following the same principle, and / or through-holes are used to screw and position the intermediate struts of the first frame structure. The intermediate struts can then be screwed into the grooves using screws. This increases the stability of the entire structure of the modular plant growing system.

[0015] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the swing door of the modular growing system has a second frame structure with aluminum and / or plastic profiles. The second frame structure of the swing door of the modular growing system can, for example, have hollow chamber strips made of plastic, in particular PVC, or aluminum. The second frame structure of the swing door could also have angle profiles made of plastic, in particular PVC, or aluminum. The use of such a second frame structure for the swing door improves the stability of the swing door itself.

[0016] Preferably, the swing door of the modular plant growing system has at least one panel element. Depending on the size of the swing door, it could also have several panel elements arranged next to each other. The panel elements can be encased in an edge protection element, profile (e.g., U-profile), or profile frame (e.g., aluminum profile frame).

[0017] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the second frame structure of the modular plant growing system is arranged or attached to the inside (i.e., on the side facing the body when the plant growing system is closed as intended) of the at least one surface element. For example, the second frame structure can be arranged or attached around the entire perimeter of the surface element or elements. "Around the perimeter" in the context of the invention does not necessarily mean a perimeter arrangement along the outer edge of the swing door. Rather, "perimeter arrangement" in the context of the invention means an arrangement of the second frame structure along the outer edge of the swing door.

[0018] Preferably, the second frame structure is arranged at a defined distance, in particular parallel, to the perimeter edge of the at least one surface element of the swing door of the modular plant cultivation system. A longitudinal edge of the second frame structure is thus arranged at a distance from the perimeter edge of the surface element. The longitudinal edge of the second frame structure is arranged at an angle to the surface element itself or to the inside of the surface element of the swing door. A defined distance between the second frame structure and the perimeter edge of the at least one surface element is preferably chosen such that a suitable exposed, "perimeter" edge strip or free space remains outside the frame to accommodate the perimeter seal, as will be explained in more detail below using a preferred embodiment as an example.Preferably, the swing door of the modular plant growing system has contact surfaces arranged at an angle to each other, which, when closed, are in contact with the seal on the body side at at least two circumferential contact surfaces. This means that the swing door has at least two, preferably exactly two, contact surfaces arranged at an angle of less than 180° to each other, all of which are in contact with the seal on the body side when the modular plant growing system is closed. A longitudinal edge of the second frame structure preferably forms a first contact surface, which is in contact with the seal on the body side when closed. The surface element of the swing door forms a second contact surface, which is in contact with the seal on the body side when closed.The second contact surface is formed in particular by the circumferential strip-like section of the surface element of the swing door, which is formed between the circumferential outer edge of the surface element of the swing door and the circumferential second frame construction.

[0019] The seal of the modular plant growing system can, in principle, have any suitable design and material. For example, the seal can be a magnetic seal. It can also be a viscoelastic seal made of materials such as sponge rubber, silicone, and / or memory foam. Other suitable materials are also possible. Furthermore, the seal can be foamed. Preferably, the seal is designed as a hollow chamber seal. For example, it can be made of EPDM hollow chamber material. This allows the seal to conform precisely to the second frame structure. When the modular plant growing system is closed with the swing door, a suction or draft is created around the access opening, pressing the swing door against the body, the first frame structure, or the seal.In other words, the swing door keeps the modular plant growing system closed by itself due to the negative pressure created inside.

[0020] The seal can have any suitable profile, e.g., D-profile, B-profile, H-profile, and / or the shape of a pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, nonagon, decagon, hendecagon, triangle, or quadrilateral. In particular, the seal has an O-profile. Preferably, the seal also has horizontally arranged sections and vertically arranged sections, with the vertically arranged sections projecting at one end into a recess in the end region of the horizontally arranged sections. Additionally or alternatively, the horizontally arranged sections could project at one end into a recess in the end region of the vertically arranged sections. This optimizes and guarantees the airtightness and light tightness at the corners of the swing door or at the corners of the access opening.The recesses in the end regions of the horizontally arranged sections and / or vertically arranged sections can have any suitable cross-sectional shape. For example, the recesses can have U-shaped, V-shaped, or semicircular cross-sections.

[0021] The modular plant cultivation system features at least one swing door, even in larger dimensions, for example, in areas over 1 m². 2The swing door is preferably designed as a single piece in the vertical and / or horizontal direction. In particular, it is provided that the swing door is designed as a single piece in the vertical direction for all dimensions of the modular plant cultivation system. This ensures that the access opening is fully accessible even at greater heights of the modular plant cultivation system. This is possible in the modular plant cultivation system according to the invention due to the stability-enhancing measures described above, for example, the first frame construction of the body and the second frame construction of the swing door.

[0022] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the body of the modular plant growing system has side and / or rear surface elements. These surface elements can be made of or consist of a water-repellent material. The surface elements can also be fully enclosed within the first frame structure, i.e., the frame structure of the body. It is also possible for the surface elements to be held in place by seals on the body.

[0023] Preferably, at least one ventilation grille is arranged section by section in at least one lateral and / or rear surface element of the body, wherein the at least one ventilation grille is designed as a type of light trap to prevent unwanted light penetration. The at least one ventilation grille can be designed to be mounted on the surface elements. Furthermore, the ventilation grille can be multi-part, in particular two-part. The at least one ventilation grille has a grid with a suitable profile that, on the one hand, promotes airflow, but on the other hand, prevents unwanted light penetration. In particular, the at least one ventilation grille has an angled profile, for example, a V-shaped or Z-shaped profile.

[0024] Preferably, the ventilation grille has angled profiles, such as V-profiles or Z-profiles, arranged one above the other. These angled profiles are preferably spaced apart from each other. For this purpose, the ventilation grille is preferably multi-part, particularly two-part, with each of the individual parts having angled profiles, particularly V-profiles or Z-profiles, or a grid with V-shaped or Z-shaped profiles. The V-profiles or Z-profiles of the two ventilation grilles arranged one above the other thus together form a grid with an M-shaped profile or an M-profile in cross-section. Such a design of the ventilation grille has been shown to maximize the airflow while simultaneously completely blocking unwanted light.

[0025] Short

[0026]

[0027] The invention is explained below by way of example using preferred embodiments. The schematic representations show:

[0028] Figure 1: a perspective view of a modular plant cultivation system,

[0029] Figures 2a, b: Sectional views through a section of the body and swing door of a modular plant cultivation system,

[0030] Figure 3: a front view of a body of a modular plant growing system,

[0031] Figures 4a-c: Plug connections of the circumferential seal of a modular plant cultivation system and

[0032] Figure 5: A ventilation grille of a modular plant growing system in various views. Preferred embodiments of the invention

[0033] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a modular plant cultivation system 100 according to the invention. The modular plant cultivation system 100 is intended for the controlled cultivation and / or controlled rearing of photoperiodic plants indoors.

[0034] The modular plant cultivation system 100 from Figure 1 has a body 10 with an access opening 11, which can be closed off in a light-tight and airtight manner by a swing door 12. In the variant shown in Figure 1, a circumferential seal 13 is provided around the access opening 11 on the body side, against which the swing door 12 rests when closed (not shown in Figure 1). Alternatively, a circumferential seal 13 could also be provided on the swing door 12. It would also be possible to provide circumferential seals 13 on both the body and door sides.

[0035] The body 10 of the modular plant cultivation system 100 has a first frame structure 14. The circumferential seal 13 is arranged in or on the first frame structure 14.

[0036] Both the cabinet 10 and the swing door 12 have surface elements 16. A ventilation grille 20 is arranged in the rear surface element 16 of the cabinet 10.

[0037] On the inside of the swing door 12, a second frame structure 15, i.e., a frame structure of the swing door 12, is arranged around the perimeter but spaced apart from the outer edge 16a of the surface element 16 of the swing door 12. For this purpose, the second frame structure 15 can be screwed, glued, or otherwise attached or joined to the inside of the surface element 16 of the swing door 12.

[0038] At least one outer edge of the second frame structure 15 forms an angle with the surface element 16 of the swing door 12. The angle is less than 180°. For example, the angle could be between 60° and 140°, between 70° and 120°, or, most preferably, between 90° and 110°. The two sections forming the angle, i.e., the outer edge of the second frame structure 15 and the adjacent outer section of the surface element 16 of the swing door 12, thus form at least two contact surfaces 17, 18 at an angle to each other. These contact surfaces 17, 18 are in contact with the circumferential seal 13 on the body 10 of the modular plant cultivation system 100 when it is closed.

[0039] Figures 2a and 2b show a partial cross-sectional view of the area between the body 10 and the swing door 12 or the first frame construction 14, i.e. the frame construction of the body 10, and the second frame construction 15, i.e. the frame construction of the swing door 12.

[0040] As already explained with reference to Figure 1, the outer strip-like edge of the surface element 16 of the swing door 12 and the second frame construction 15 form contact surfaces 17, 18 with the circumferential seal 13 arranged on the body side. The circumferential seal 13 is attached to the body 10 on its frame construction, i.e. the first frame construction 14.

[0041] Figure 2a shows this section with the swing door closed. Figure 2b shows this section with the swing door open.

[0042] Figure 3 shows a front view of the body 10 of the modular plant growing system 100. For clarity, the swing door 12 is not shown in Figure 3.

[0043] The body 10 of the modular plant cultivation system 100 has a first frame structure 14, wherein the circumferential seal 13 is arranged in or on the first frame structure 14.

[0044] To ensure absolute airtightness and light tightness even in the corner areas when the swing door 12 is closed (not shown in Figure 3 for clarity), the horizontally arranged sealing elements of the circumferential seal 13 have cutouts 19 at their ends into which the vertically arranged sealing elements of the circumferential seal 13 project. Alternatively, the vertically arranged sealing elements could also have cutouts 19 at their ends. It would also be conceivable for both the horizontally and vertically arranged sealing elements to each have a cutout 19 at one of their ends. Figures 4a to 4c show various designs of these cutouts 19. Figure 4a, for example, shows a V-shaped cutout. Figure 4b shows a trough-shaped or U-shaped cutout. Figure 4c shows a variant with a semicircular cutout.The aforementioned cutout shapes refer to the cross-section. Only three exemplary cutout shapes are shown here. The cutouts could also be designed differently, for example, with multiple points.

[0045] Figure 5 shows various views: a perspective view, a top view, and a cross-sectional view of a ventilation grille 20. The ventilation grille 20 is designed with angled profiles such that the airflow is maximized while simultaneously preventing light from entering the modular plant growing system 100 or the body 10 of the modular growing system 100. Thus, the ventilation grille 20 also acts as a so-called light trap. (Reference numeral list)

[0046] 100 Modular Plant Growing System

[0047] 10 Corpus

[0048] 11 Access opening

[0049] 12 Swing door

[0050] 13 Circumferential seal

[0051] 14 First frame construction

[0052] 15 Second frame construction

[0053] 16 surface elements

[0054] 16a Circumferential edge of the surface element 17 First contact surface

[0055] 18 Second contact surface

[0056] 19 recess

[0057] 20 ventilation grilles

Claims

Patent claims 1. Modular plant cultivation system (100) for the controlled cultivation and / or controlled rearing of plants indoors, wherein the plant cultivation system (100) has at least one body (10) with an access opening (11) which can be closed or sealed in a lightproof and airtight manner by at least one swing door (12) of the plant cultivation system (100), wherein a circumferential seal (13) is arranged around the access opening (11) on the door side and / or body side in order to close the plant growing system in a light-tight and airtight manner in the connection area between body and swing door when the swing door is closed.

2. Modular plant cultivation system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the body (10) has a first frame construction (14) with profiles, in particular aluminium profiles.

3. Modular plant cultivation system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the swing door (12) has a second frame construction (15) with aluminium profiles and / or plastic profiles.

4. Modular plant cultivation system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the swing door (12) has at least one surface element (16) and is preferably formed in one piece in the vertical direction.

5. Modular plant cultivation system (100) according to claims 3 and 4, wherein the second frame structure (15) is arranged on the inside of the at least one surface element (16).

6. Modular plant cultivation system (100) according to claim 5, wherein the second frame construction (15) is arranged at a distance from the circumferential edges (16a) of the at least one surface element (16).

7. Modular plant cultivation system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the swing door (12) has at least two contact surfaces (17, 18) positioned at an angle to each other, which are in contact with the body-side seal (13) when closed.

8. Modular plant cultivation system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the seal (13) is designed as a hollow chamber seal.

9. Modular plant cultivation system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the seal (13) has an O-profile.

10. Modular plant cultivation system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the seal (13) has horizontally arranged sections and vertically arranged sections, wherein the vertically arranged sections project with an end face into a recess (19) in the end region of the horizontally arranged sections and / or the horizontally arranged sections project with an end face into a recess (19) in the end region of the vertically arranged sections.

11. Modular plant cultivation system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one swing door (12) is formed in one piece in the vertical and / or horizontal direction.

12. Modular plant cultivation system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the body (10) has side and / or rear surface elements (16).

13. Modular plant cultivation system (100) according to claim 12, wherein at least one ventilation grille (20) is arranged section by section in at least one lateral and / or rear surface element (16) of the body, wherein the at least one ventilation grille (20) is designed as a light trap to prevent unwanted light penetration.

14. Modular plant cultivation system (100) according to claim 13, wherein the ventilation grille (20) has angled profiles arranged one above the other, in particular Z-profiles.

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